Edinburgh Zoo: Injured chimpanzee returns to enclosure after fatal fight

A chimpanzee badly injured in a fatal troop fight at Edinburgh Zoo has been reintroduced to the enclosure to maintain social bonds.

Qafzeh required surgery to his testicles after the fight which left another chimpanzee, 31-year-old Rene, fatally injured.

Edinburgh Zoo said chimpanzee group dynamics were “incredibly complex” and fighting in a group was normal behaviour.

It said fights also occurred in the wild, and it was not planning any investigation into the incident.

A zoo spokeswoman told BBC Scotland: “It was important to introduce Qafzeh back into the group as soon as he was well in order to maintain bonds.”

She said they currently had 14 chimps in the Budongo Trail enclosure, which is large enough to house 40 apes.

She said: “All rooms have more than one entrance/exit to mitigate against any individuals being ‘trapped’.

“Our chimpanzee keeping team has been recognised for their expertise in animal behaviour and welfare,” she added.