A chimpanzee at Edinburgh Zoo has been given a clean bill of health following a check-up by vets.
Chimpanzee Edith, 29, underwent an ultrasound alongside other tests from a team of veterinarians at the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS).
In a statement, Edinburgh Zoo said: “The team at the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) gave Edith, a 29-year-old female, a range of examinations including a heart scan and a replacement contraceptive implant.
“After recovering from the anaesthetic Edith re-joined the 13 other chimps that live in the wildlife conservation charity’s Budongo Trail habitat.”
The heart ultrasound was carried out to check for signs of congenital heart disease which chimps are susceptible to, just like humans. Edith was given the all-clear.
Contraceptive implants are used as part of “responsible population management” within the zoo. These implants are the same as those used in humans
The zoo’s chimps live in the Budongo Trail, which the zoo dubs as “one of the world’s most innovative chimp habitats.”
It combines a large outdoor area with climbing frame, and a series of indoor pods, each with varying conditions mimicking those of their native forests. Wild chimp populations are in decline due to habitat loss, poaching and disease.
Since 2005, RZSS has partnered with the Budongo Conservation Field Station in Uganda which combines cutting-edge research with practical action on the ground to study and protect wild chimpanzees.
Edith is on the older side for a chimp, as chimpanzees in captivity have a median lifespan of 31.7 years for males and 38.7 years for females.
The oldest-known male captive chimpanzee to have been documented lived to 66 years, and the oldest female, Little Mama, was nearly 80 years old.
