Chimp check-up at Edinburgh Zoo
Posted 1 May 2026
A chimpanzee at Edinburgh Zoo has been given a clean bill of health following a check-up by vets. 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.
Notes to Editors
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Hi-res video and images available at https://we.tl/t-3mXV62VK3NWyy2Xk
Video and images are free to use. Please credit RZSS.
Notes to editors
- 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, 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
In 2025, RZSS celebrated 20 years of saving chimpanzees in Uganda. Wild chimp populations are in decline due to habitat loss, poaching and disease. Since 2005, RZSS – with support from the Postcode Lottery - 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
