The zoo claims that a baby red panda perished as a result of fireworks stress.

Experts from the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) revealed Thursday that fireworks were probably the cause of the death of a juvenile red panda at Edinburgh Zoo who died on her own vomit due to stress.

On November 5, also known as Bonfire Night in the UK, when a number of fireworks displays illuminate the night sky to commemorate the anniversary of a failed attempt to blow up London’s Houses of Parliament in 1605, three-month-old Roxie passed away.

The newborn red panda “was responding well to specialist care from our expert team and was feeding independently,” according to a statement released by RZSS deputy chief executive Ben Supple. Roxie’s mother, Ginger, had passed away a few days prior.

He said, “Roxie had access to her den, but it appears that the frightful sounds were too much for her.” “We cannot rule out that fireworks may have contributed to the premature death of Roxie’s mother Ginger, just five days earlier, as we know that they can cause stress to other animals in the zoo.”

The number of red pandas in the wild is declining, making them an endangered species.

 

Given the hazards that fireworks present to animal health, RZSS, a wildlife conservation nonprofit that operates Edinburgh Zoo, is now advocating for stricter regulations. The group also cited a public petition that was delivered to the UK government last week and has over a million signatures.

Its position is in line with that of other animal welfare groups, such as the RSPCA, which reported that over 13,000 survey replies detailing animals’ panic reactions to fireworks had been received in just three years.

Fireworks have also been known to cause animal deaths in other cases. Similar to Roxie, a newborn zebra at Bristol Zoo perished in November 2020 after being startled by fireworks.

 

 

 

The UK and Scottish governments must impose stricter regulations on the sale and use of fireworks since they can frighten and upset pets, livestock, and zoo animals, Supple continued.

“We back calls from animal welfare organizations to outlaw the sale of fireworks to the general public and only allow light displays at events that are organized.” This would ensure that people may continue to enjoy customary festivities while preventing terrible outcomes for animals like Roxie,” he said.

Currently, save on Bonfire Night, New Year’s Eve, Diwali, and Chinese New Year, it is prohibited to light fireworks in the UK between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. Between October 15 and November 10, December 26–31, and the three days leading up to Diwali and Chinese New Year, registered dealers are permitted to sell fireworks for private use.

A parliamentary investigation into the matter in 2019 found that a ban on fireworks sales in public would probably be “ineffective” and have a “substantial economic effect.” However, it suggested that the government limit the number of private firework displays at celebrations like birthdays or weddings and collaborate with local authorities to establish a lower maximum noise level in consultation with animal welfare specialists.

A representative for the Department for Business and Trade told CNN Thursday, “We are sad to hear of the death of Roxie the panda and our thoughts are with the team who cared for her at Edinburgh Zoo.”

“This season, we launched a new fireworks safety campaign to help people use them safely and appropriately because we strive to keep pets and the public safe.”

Siobhian Brown, Scotland’s minister of community safety, told CNN in a statement that she has written to the UK government asking for a meeting “to discuss what more can be done on fireworks regulations,” but that the Scottish government lacks the authority to fully address the problem.