IT wasn't the gathering that Jim and Alison Cronin had planned.

At Christmas, the couple sat down and compiled a list of 350 guests they would invite to celebrate the 20th birthday of Monkey World in 2007.

A few weeks later, Jim died of liver cancer in a hospital in his native New York, at the age of 55.

So on Sunday those very same guests, who would have celebrated an anniversary, came together instead at the internationally renowned ape rescue centre, to celebrate the life of its founder.

The tributes, at an emotional memorial service, were led by Jim's brother, John Cronin, himself an acclaimed US environmentalist.

He said: "I have never met anyone like my brother. For Jim, doing the difficult was a breeze.

"Challenging the impossible was what he always tried to do."

His fascination with primates started early. As a young boy in Yonkers NY, he would wait every day for the local organ grinder and his capuchin monkey.

He later dropped out of college, went to work at the Bronx Zoo, then at a zoo in Kent and then had a dream of establishing a rescue centre. He found the perfect spot in rural Dorset in 1987 and set up Monkey World with keeper Jeremy Keeling.

Mr Cronin told the service: "Jim's life was about making a difference and he made the world a better place. The illegal trade in and export and torture of primates is a crime against humanity and a dereliction of our responsibility to other species on the planet.

"Jim and Alison are heroic figures at a time when the world really needs them."

On behalf of the Queen, South Dorset MP Jim Knight presented two MBEs, one to Alison and one to Mr Cronin who accepted it on behalf of his late brother.

The awards were, said Mr Knight, "for a lifetime of work in conservation", and for long dedication to primate welfare and rescue.

There were also speeches from the Rev John Townend, vicar of Wool and former 2CRFM presenter Graham Mack who said Jim's passion for his cause "leapt out at you" from the television in the series Monkey Business, just as it did in person.

The guests watched a moving video tribute put together by the Monkey Business team, which charted the history of Monkey World and captured some of the essence of the man and his work.

Tears flowed as it played, but the video also sparked gales of laughter, ending with a string of Cronin bloopers, or out-takes, from the TV series, a hit worldwide.

But the last word in the service was from Alison Cronin.

Choking back tears, she said: "I was terrified about confronting today, but seeing you all here I know Jim would have been delighted that his passion and his dream had been embraced by everyone. It means so much that you are all here."

Proposing a toast she added: "We all love you Jim and we miss you so much."

Later she told the Echo: "Monkey World will carry on and we will work harder than ever in the cause of primate rescue and care. Jim made it very clear to Jeremy and me he wanted us to be strong and keep his dream alive."

Afterwards, veteran animal welfare campaigner Virginia McKenna of Born Free fame described Jim Cronin as "inspirational".

  • The Jim Cronin Memorial Fund has been established to develop a state of the art education centre at Monkey World. A public memorial/open day takes place this Saturday, June 30.