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The death of a rare baby red panda in Edinburgh Zoo has been linked to stress likely caused by fireworks – as experts call for stricter regulations.
The three-month-old red panda cub named Roxie died on Bonfire Night at her enclosure. The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS), which runs the zoo, has said there was “probably” a link to fireworks being let off in the city centre and the death.
Veterinary experts from the wildlife conservation charity are now calling for tighter restrictions around the use of fireworks. The death of Roxie’s mother Ginger only five days before her own had also been linked to noise from fireworks.
Announcing Ginger’s death at the end of October, the charity said: “[Roxie] is just about old enough that she should be able to survive at this stage without her mum”.
“Our expert keepers will be keeping a close eye on her while she continues to grow.”
Red Pandas are a designated endangered species, with ongoing conservation efforts underway across the world to preserve the animal. Native to the east Himalayas and parts of China, only an estimated 2,500 are thought to remain in the wild.
Ben Supple, deputy chief executive at the society, 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 [died] 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.”
In August, Edinburgh became the first council in Scotland to vote for a ban on the use of fireworks in parts of the city around Bonfire Night.
Local authorities in the country are able to designate firework control zones following a 2022 riot in Dundee. However, animal welfare campaigners have called on UK governments to do more.
“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,” said Mr Supple.
“This would help avoid devastating consequences for animals like Roxie while ensuring that people can still enjoy traditional celebrations.”
Leader of Edinburgh Council Cammy Day called for an outright ban on public firework sales at the end of October due to frequent and often violent misuse.
