Edinburgh Zoo’s Baby Red Panda Dies After Bonfire Night Fireworks Scare

The death of a three-month-old red panda at Edinburgh Zoo on Bonfire Night has prompted renewed calls for stricter regulations on fireworks, The Associated Press reports.

Roxie, the baby panda, died after choking on her vomit, which zoo officials believe was a direct result of stress caused by the loud explosions associated with Guy Fawkes Day celebrations.

The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS), which operates Edinburgh Zoo, stated that Roxie, despite having access to her den, was overwhelmed by the noise.

Roxie’s death comes just five days after her mother, Ginger, also passed away. While the exact cause of Ginger’s death remains unclear, Supple suggested that stress from the fireworks in the days leading up to Bonfire Night may have been a contributing factor. Red pandas, native to the eastern Himalayas and southwestern China, are already vulnerable, with fewer than 10,000 remaining in the wild and a low survival rate even in captivity. As many as 60% of red panda cubs do not survive their first year.

The incident has reignited the debate surrounding the impact of fireworks on animals. The RZSS joined the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) in advocating for a ban on the sale of fireworks to the public and a shift towards controlled, public displays only. A petition with over one million signatures calling for stricter fireworks regulations was recently delivered to the office of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

This year marked the first time local authorities in Scotland had the power to ban fireworks in specific areas. However, the widespread disorder reported in Edinburgh on Bonfire Night, including incidents of fireworks being fired at police officers, underscores the challenges in controlling the use of fireworks. Scottish community safety minister Siobhian Brown said that addressing this issue now falls to the UK government.