Edinburgh ZooEdinburgh Zoo has announced that a chimpanzee has died after it was involved in a fight with its troop.
Staff said they were sad to share the news that 31-year-old Rene had passed away after suffering from serious injuries.
It said another chimpanzee was also being treated for injuries.
“We’re sad to share the news that Rene, one of our chimpanzees, sadly passed away last week after an altercation within the troop,” the zoo said.
“Chimp group dynamics are incredibly complex and Rene, who was 31 years old, was part of a fight which broke out within the troop.
“This type of behaviour occurs in the wild, especially around breeding time when females are in season and when males are challenging for dominance of the group.”
Edinburgh Zoo said its staff did everything they could to separate the animals but added that Rene’s injuries were too severe.
Another animal, Qafzeh, sustained injuries but is recovering and will be slowly reintroduced to the group.
“Rene was a huge personality and will be missed by those who cared for him,” the zoo added.
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