Edinburgh Zoo's oldest resident has died, aged 50. Ricky the Chimpanzee originally came to the Zoo in 1966 after arriving from a Merchant Navy vessel where he had been a mascot until such a posting was deemed inconsistent with his welfare. Keepers have said that "we will miss him dearly. Ricky was a character and his antics made him memorable to us, our volunteers and all the visitors who asked about Ricky on a daily basis."

Edinburgh Zoo has removed both of its pandas from public display after both contracted colic. The male, Yang Guang ('Sunshine') was affected first and with greater severity, and was taken from public display two weeks ago to ease his recovery. The female, Tian Tian ('Sweetie') has been diagnosed with a milder form of the condition. "We understand some visitors will be disappointed, however the welfare of our giant pandas has to be a priority. All visitors with panda tickets today have been fully refunded, welcomed into the Zoo for free and invited to re-book for a suitable future date" a spokeswoman said. Photo - Reuters, Rob McDougall.

A new tartan commissioned to commemorate the recent arrival of two pandas at Edinburgh Zoo has been unveiled. The timing was calculated for proximity to Burns Night and Chinese New Year. The Scottish Registrar of Tartans has approved the pattern, which includes black, white and grey (recalling the panda's iconic pelts), green (recalling bamboo) and three red lines (recalling the Chinese flag). Welcoming the news, Chief Executive of Edinburgh Zoo Hugh Roberts said "This significant and highly exciting project symbolically demonstrates the coming together of Scotland and China's heritage and culture - making it the perfect way to commemorate the gift of two giant pandas that China bestowed upon Scotland. Its unveiling on the overlap of two separate culturally significant days for both China and Scotland feels very appropriate and auspicious timing."

A baby pink elephant has been spotted amongst an 80-strong herd in the Okavango Delta of Botswana. Experts believe it is an albino variant, a mutation which is exceptionally rare in African elephants. Unfortunately, the precedent of blindness and skin problems caused by the sun has led to fears for the calves' survival. However, Dr Mike Chase of Elephants Without Borders has argued that there is still hope: "Because this elephant calf was sighted in the Okavango Delta, he may have a greater chance of survival. He can seek refuge under the large trees and cake himself in a thick mud, which will protect him from the sun. Already the two-to-three-month-old calf seems to be walking in the shade of its mother."

The UK Border Agency has seized a hippopotamus foot and 10 carved ivory ornaments from the luggage of a 58-year-old woman at Cardiff Airport. The woman arrived from Zambia, via Amsterdam, last Saturday. When questioned, she told officials she had been clearing the house of a relative in Zambia and was not aware that a licence was required to bring such items into the UK. The import of ivory goods is restricted under the Convention in International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), and a permit is required to bring such items into UK territory. "Travellers should be aware of the rules on restricted or banned items." said UK Border Agency Assistant Director Alex Lawther. Photograph: D Legakis Photography/Athena

Researchers in Germany have determined that Barn Owls are able to hunt in almost perfect silence because of the shape of their wings. Dr Thomas Bachmann from the Technical University Darmstadt studied 3-D medical scans of the wing's skeletal structure and the plumage, and concluded that the combination of high curvature or 'camber' and extremely fine feathers was ideal for producing a great deal of lift without loud turbulence. Dr Bachmann and his team hope that the findings will ultimately prove useful in the design of aircraft. The study's findings were presented at the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology's annual meeting in Charleston, South Carolina.