
Locals share tributes after beloved West Lothian zoo animal passes away
A beloved West Lothian zoo animal has sadly passed away after a battle with health issues.
Shadow, the pygmy goat, was born at Five Sisters Zoo in West Calder in 2014 where she lived her life happily, well-known to visitors.
The nine-year-old mammal was referred to as a 'gentle and familiar presence' but sadly faced age-related health issues.
Her carers at Five Sisters Zoo made the compassionate decision to let her go peacefully.
They released a tribute to their beloved furry friend on social media.
Their message reads: 'It is with great sadness that we share the news of the passing of our cherished West African pygmy goat, Shadow.
'Born at the zoo in 2014, Shadow was a gentle and familiar presence to all who visited and cared for her over the years.
'Shadow faced age-related health issues in recent times, and on Tuesday, the compassionate decision was made to let her go peacefully.
'Shadow will be deeply missed by the Five Sisters Zoo family and everyone who had the joy of meeting her.'
The tribute received an outpouring of heartfelt messages from visitors and locals.
One said: 'So sorry to read this. Shadow was a friendly wee soul and I will miss seeing her on my visits. RIP Shadow, and sincerest condolences to all who cared for her.'
Another shared: 'Awwh what a shame, rip. I thought the wee thing didn't look right when we were in on Sunday.'
A third penned: 'Awe so sorry to hear this. Loved seeing Shadow.'
Pygmy goats are native to West Africa. Five Sisters Zoo cares for a number of pygmy goats as well as several boer goats.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Daily Mail
a day ago
- Daily Mail
German zoo sparks outrage over killing 12 of its baboons after contraception failed to stop the primates breeding
A German zoo has sparked condemnation after culling 12 baboons amid fears the group had grown too large for their enclosure, while contraception had failed to stop the primates from breeding. Nuremberg Zoo first announced plans to kill a number of baboons it did not have space for in February 2024. Zoo officials said that they had examined offers to take in some of the animals, but they were unable to make any of them work. Director Dag Encke said previously that the 'sensible' plan to kill off nearly half of the baboon population in the zoo would help 'ensure the survival' of the species. The zoo had been housing 43 Guinea baboons in an enclosure, built in the late 2000s, that had originally intended to accommodate 25 animals plus their young. Officials argued that a lack of space resulted in additional stress for the primates and more arguments between these otherwise social animals, which increasingly ended in blood. But the decision to cull the animals drew the ire of animal rights protesters, who were seen on Tuesday afternoon forcing their way into the zoo, which announced it was closed for the day for unspecified 'operational reasons.' Some of the activists were arrested by police after they glued themselves to the ground in protest. A statement released by the zoo shortly afterwards confirmed that 12 baboons had been killed, German news agency dpa reported. Further details were not immediately available, while animal rights groups said they planned to file a criminal complaint. The International Union for Conservation of Nature classified Guinea baboons as endangered and said they should be kept in zoos for species conservation. Guinea baboons live in protected areas in several West African countries, but because the population there has also surged there was no space to relocate Nuremberg's primates to African countries either, Encke previously explained. Since 2011, 16 baboons had been moved from Nuremberg Zoo to other facilities in Paris and China. Officials at the zoo argued that a lack of space resulted in additional stress for the primates and more violent arguments between these otherwise social animals But those zoos, and another in Spain to which baboons were previously sent, had reached their own capacity. Animals are regularly euthanised in European zoos for a range of reasons, but have equally provoked anger from animal rights activists. In 2014, Copenhagen Zoo killed a healthy two-year-old giraffe because he was 'surplus to requirements'. Staff then butchered its carcass in front of a crowd that included schoolchildren and fed the dead animal to the lions.


Time Out
23-07-2025
- Time Out
Kafe Utu, Singapore's first African café, just updated its brunch menu – here's why you need to try it
The year is 2019, and Singapore's first African café and lounge just landed on the scene. These days, founder Kurt Wagner is more known for his West African restaurant Tamba, which offers a reasonable $138 dinner tasting menu, but before that, Kafe Utu was where curious diners would flock to for a taste of African cuisine. My first visit to the café was in 2022. It didn't accept reservations back then so a crowd was pooling outside during dinner time, but what turned out to be a 90-minute wait proved to be worth it. The three-storey building was impressive at every corner – stunning portraits of African women on the first floor, large leather couches on the second floor for lounging around and mingling with strangers, and a charming alfresco area overlooking the neighbourhood. Tasteful decor aside, the vibe was lively and communal, and the service warm and friendly. Kafe Utu's dinner offerings consist of a pan-African spread of curries paired with rice and condiments, and it also serves brunch and an extensive list of specialty coffee, all roasted in-house. The recent brunch menu refresh sees returns of fan-favourite dishes as well as a couple of additions to keep things fresh. We're told that the previous version leaned more towards stews, rice and curries, while the updated features more bread – think chapati and batbout (a kind of Moroccan pita). Back by popular demand is the pulled pork breakfast ($27), a vibrant platter of spiced shredded pork shoulder topped with a poached egg and smoked barbecue sauce. On the side: refreshing kachumbari, fried plantains and viazi karai (deep-fried potatoes). Get a bit of everything and roll it all up in freshly baked chapati sheets. Or try the Mbuzi Mbaya 'Bad Goat' ($34), highly recommended by my dining companion. Think of it as an African version of the English big breakfast, with homemade goat sausages, marinated goat cheese, smoked pepper sauce, and the same fixings of kachumbari and chapati. We couldn't pass up the Yaba 'Wise Chief' Burger ($42), another much-anticipated comeback on the brunch menu. This towering burger was a mainstay at the café back in 2020, available only in limited quantities each day. At its heart is a thick, juicy slab of Angus brisket and chuck patty, stacked with another layer of smoked ox tongue. Yes, ox tongue – it appears intimidating at first, with a glossy, deep-red sheen, but don't be fooled. It's remarkably tender, richly beefy and completely free of any funky aftertaste. Smoky melted pepper jack cheese adds depth, while house-made pickles cut through the fattiness. Everything we try is spot-on so far and the portions are far from paltry – it's just a tad heavy for brunch. You get your fair share of deep-fried, spicy, smoky and meaty flavours here, so if that's not quite your idea of breakfast, it might be wiser to pop by later in the day before the café closes at 4.30pm for the dinner service. That said, coffee and desserts are a hit with our table. The alcoholic Utu Dome dessert is a classic – and quite the showstopper – with melted dark chocolate poured over a thin chocolate shell encasing crème de pâtissière, pink peppercorns, raspberry liqueur and seasonal berries ($24). New desserts include the sour cream cheesecake with peanut butter ($12) and tapioca fritters with coconut cream and an accompanying chocolate dip ($18). There are over six coffee options on the menu and eight specialty drinks under the Utu Specials section. Hatsu-Koi ($12) is the café's answer to the recently trending strawberry matcha latte, blending jasmine tea with matcha for added florality and using homemade strawberry purée. Meanwhile, classic beverages include the Bidibado ($8) – mocha with a peanut butter rim laced with roasted almonds and pink peppercorn; Malindi Latte ($8) – latte with a secret seven spice syrup; and The Karanga ($12) for sweet tooths, where iced white coffee is topped with peanut butter mascarpone cream.


Daily Record
18-07-2025
- Daily Record
Locals share tributes after beloved West Lothian zoo animal passes away
Shadow, the pygmy goat, was born at Five Sisters Zoo in West Calder in 2014 where she lived her life happily, well-known to visitors. A beloved West Lothian zoo animal has sadly passed away after a battle with health issues. Shadow, the pygmy goat, was born at Five Sisters Zoo in West Calder in 2014 where she lived her life happily, well-known to visitors. The nine-year-old mammal was referred to as a 'gentle and familiar presence' but sadly faced age-related health issues. Her carers at Five Sisters Zoo made the compassionate decision to let her go peacefully. They released a tribute to their beloved furry friend on social media. Their message reads: 'It is with great sadness that we share the news of the passing of our cherished West African pygmy goat, Shadow. 'Born at the zoo in 2014, Shadow was a gentle and familiar presence to all who visited and cared for her over the years. 'Shadow faced age-related health issues in recent times, and on Tuesday, the compassionate decision was made to let her go peacefully. 'Shadow will be deeply missed by the Five Sisters Zoo family and everyone who had the joy of meeting her.' The tribute received an outpouring of heartfelt messages from visitors and locals. One said: 'So sorry to read this. Shadow was a friendly wee soul and I will miss seeing her on my visits. RIP Shadow, and sincerest condolences to all who cared for her.' Another shared: 'Awwh what a shame, rip. I thought the wee thing didn't look right when we were in on Sunday.' A third penned: 'Awe so sorry to hear this. Loved seeing Shadow.' Pygmy goats are native to West Africa. Five Sisters Zoo cares for a number of pygmy goats as well as several boer goats.