Hundreds of people have expressed their sadness after a much-loved white cockatoo at Five Sisters Zoo in West Lothian passed away.
Those at the zoo near West Calder confirmed at the weekend that the hugely-popular cacatua alba, named Sophie, had died.
And a tribute they posted to Sophie on social media has attracted almost 400 comments – with many gutted at the sad news.
In a statement on Facebook, Five Sisters Zoo wrote: "We are so sad to confirm that Sophie our cockatoo sadly passed away yesterday.
"Sophie has been at the zoo for many years and was a little character, popular with all our visitors.
"We are all devastated about this and she will be sorely missed by everyone at the zoo."
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The white cockatoo, also known as the umbrella cockatoo, is native to tropical rainforests on several Indonesian islands. They are said to be louder than many parrots and can easily become bonded with their human companions.
Sophie left a big impression on many visitors to the zoo and dozens of them took to social media to express their shock after hearing of her passing.
Haroon Rashid posted: "Was the highlight of my visit. So sad to hear this. RIP Sophie. You brought a smile to everyone's face at the zoo."
Stephanie McClurg added: "Just at the zoo recently and Sophie was one of our favourites there. She kept us all entertained. What a character she was. So sad to hear about her passing."
Ashley Murray commented: "Aw she was our favourite. My daughters always looked forward to seeing her and chatting away. RIP Sophie."
And Sophie Hooper described her as a "truly iconic bird".
The International Union for Conservation of Nature deem them to be endangered, and numbers have been declining in the wild for a number of years.
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