A chimpanzee has died at Edinburgh Zoo.

Rene, who was 31-years-old, was part of a fight which broke out within the troop at the zoo.

The zoo noted that such behaviour occurs in the wild, especially around breeding time when females are in season and when males are challenging for dominance of the group. 

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", the zoo said.

Another chimpanzee, Qafzeh, also sustained injuries and after a surgical operation is doing well and is gradually being reintroduced to the group, the zoo added.

In a statement, the zoo said: "Rene was a huge personality and will be missed by those who cared for him."