A CHIMPANZEE has died after being attacked by its own troop at Edinburgh Zoo.
The zoo announced on Monday that Rene passed away last week "after an altercation within the troops".
The 31-year-old chimpanzee was involved in a fight with other members of the social group and ultimately died from his injuries.
A spokesperson 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.
We’re sad to share Rene, one of our chimps, passed away last week 💛 Chimp group dynamics are incredibly complex and Rene, who was 31-years-old, was part of a fight which broke out within the troop. He was a huge personality and will be missed by those who cared for him. pic.twitter.com/v5Hgbq19rh
— Edinburgh Zoo (@EdinburghZoo) July 8, 2024
"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.
"Our expert keepers did everything they could to separate the fight and keep the rest of the troop safe, but sadly Rene's injuries were severe.
"Rene was a huge personality and will be missed by those who cared for him".
A second chimpanzee named Qafzeh was also injured in the fight and required emergency surgery.
However, they are "doing well" following the procedure and are gradually being reintroduced to the group.
