TWO of Blackpool Zoo's residents have sadly passed away leaving a sense of loss among dedicated staff and keepers.

Hayley, a 16-year-old female orang utan, and Lomie, a female gorilla, both died within 24 hours of each other at the zoo last week.

Hayley underwent a post-mortem which revealed she died experiencing problems due to an ectopic pregnancy which had gone undetected. The news came as a sad blow to keepers at the zoo who were very fond of Hayley. Zoo manager Iain Valentine said: "Hayley had shown no previous symptoms or signs of discomfort so this is a sad and unexpected loss."

Hayley was born in Blackpool Zoo and would normally have been expected to live to 35 years of age. In an unprecedented gesture, Hayley has been buried within the grounds of the zoo that had been her home since birth. Lomie, the female Western Lowland gorilla, died the following day. She had been diagnosed with a cancerous tumour after a CT scan last year and staff had been keeping a close eye on her.

Spokesman for the zoo Tony Williams added: "Lomie's death wasn't as unexpected as Hayley's, but they will both be sadly missed by staff, visitors and the rest of their family units."