Baby red panda dies at Edinburgh Zoo from 'stress caused by fireworks' as staff call for tighter restrictions

Roxie, who was born at the zoo in July, choked on her vomit on November 5 and veterinary experts believe this was likely a reaction to fireworks being set off across the city centre. Staff at the zoo also suggested that loud fireworks could have played a role in the ‘untimely death’ of Roxie’s mum Ginger, who died five days earlier.

The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS), who operate the zoo, is now urging the public to contact their MP and MSP to support a petition in favour of limiting the use of fireworks in a bid to ‘avoid devastating consequences for animals like Roxie’.

Staff at Edinburgh Zoo said it is likely that the baby red panda died from stress caused by fireworks | RZSS

Ben Supple, RZSS deputy chief executive, said: “Roxie had recently lost her mum Ginger but was responding well to specialist care from our expert team and was feeding independently. Very sadly, she choked on her vomit on Bonfire Night and our vets believe this was probably a reaction to fireworks. 

“Roxie had access to her den but the frightening noises seem to have been too much for her. We know that fireworks can cause stress to other animals in the zoo and we cannot rule out that they may have contributed to the untimely death of Roxie’s mother Ginger, just five days’ earlier.” 

The wildlife conservation charity is supporting a public petition that would restrict the use of fireworks to ‘traditional dates’, impose a maximum decibel limit of 97dB and require all public firework displays to be licenced. The petition, that was backed by the RSPCA and gained over a million signatures was delivered to the UK Government last week.

Mr Supple said: “Fireworks can cause fear and distress for pets, livestock and animals in zoos, so it is essential that the UK and Scottish governments tighten restrictions on their sale and use. We support calls from animal welfare charities to ban the sale of fireworks to the public, with only light displays being permitted at organised events.”

He added: “This would help avoid devastating consequences for animals like Roxie while ensuring that people can still enjoy traditional celebrations.”

Edinburgh Western MSP Alex Cole-Hamilton said: "This is extremely sad news. These are rare and beautiful creatures. The scenes across Edinburgh over the last few weeks have been anarchic and troubling.”

Mr Cole-Hamilton added: "The current set of rules on licensing, sales and usage don't seem to have had the desired effect. It's time to look at whether a ban on noisy and disruptive fireworks is necessary."