Sam Neill pays tribute to his beloved pet duck Charlie Pickering after her passing

Sam Neill has been left heartbroken over the death of his beloved pet duck Charlie Pickering.

Taking to Instagram to announce the sad news, the Jurassic Park actor shared a video tribute to his feathered "girlfriend".

Alongside the clip, he wrote: "My dear little friend Charlie died this week in my absence. I am very sad right now.

"Charlie was an affectionate friendly little creature, and I was very attached to that little duck."

He continued: "Last time I saw Charlie I thought she wouldn’t make it through another winter. We think Charlie was 9 or 10, which in fairness is a good old age for a duck.

"I can’t post a pic of Charlie post mortem- too upsetting. But here’s a few bits and pieces of Life with Charlie."

Charlie frequently starred on Neill's social media accounts, and in January she even made a guest appearance on Tourism New Zealand's latest marketing campaign.

Charlie is survived by several animal friends on Neill's farm, including Angelica the Kunekune pig, Michael Fassbender the rooster, and Helena Bonham Carter the cow.