Fascinating footage shows Edinburgh Zoo chimpanzee undergoing health check-up by vets
Edinburgh Zoo chimpanzee Edith has been given a clean bill of health following a check-up by vets
Fascinating footage of a chimpanzee undergoing a health check-up by vets has been shared by Edinburgh Zoo.
The team at the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) gave Edith, a 29-year-old female chimpanzee, a range of examinations including a heart scan and a replacement contraceptive implant.
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.
After recovering from the anaesthetic, Edith who was given a clean bill of health rejoined the 13 other chimps that live in the wildlife conservation charity’s Budongo Trail habitat - 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.