at Edinburgh Zoo, after he became so stressed that he choked on his own vomitRoyal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) experts said on Thursday.
According to CNN, three-month-old Roxy died on November 5, a day known as Bonfire Night in the UK, when many fireworks light up the night sky to mark the anniversary of a failed plot to blow up the London Parliament in 1605.
Roxy’s mother, Ginger, had died a few days earlier, but the little red panda “he was responding well to specialized care from our team of specialists and was feeding independentlyRZSS Deputy CEO Ben Supple said in a statement.
“Roxy had access to her nest, but the scary noises seem to have been too much for her,” he added. “We know that fireworks can cause stress to other zoo animals and we cannot rule out that they may have contributed to the untimely death of Roxy’s mother, Ginger, just five days earlier.”
Red pandas are endangered species
Reds are always ranked in the endangered specieswith their number decreasing in nature.
RZSS, a wildlife conservation charity that runs Edinburgh Zoo, is now calling for stricter restrictions on fireworksgiven the risks they pose to animal welfare. The organization also pointed to a public petition signed by more than 1 million people and delivered to the UK government last week.
Its stance is aligned with other organizations for the protection of animalssuch as the RSPCA, which said it received more than 13,000 survey responses over three years describing the fear reactions of animals from fireworks.
There have been other cases of animals dying as a result of fireworks. Like Roxy, a baby zebra died after being startled by the sounds of fireworks at Bristol Zoo in November 2020.
“Fireworks can cause fear and distress to pets, companion animals and zoo animals, so it is essential that the UK and Scottish Governments tighten restrictions on their sale and use,” Supple added.
“We support calls from animal welfare charities to ban the sale of fireworks to the public, while only light displays will be allowed at organized events. This would help to avoid the devastating consequences for animals like Roxy, while ensuring that people could continue to enjoy traditional celebrations,” he said.
What does the legislation say about fireworks?
Currently, it is illegal to set off fireworks in the UK between 11pm and 7 a.m., except Bonfire Night, New Year’s Eve, Diwali and Chinese New Year.
Fireworks can be sold by registered sellers for private use between October 15 and November 10, December 26-31 and the three days before Diwali and Chinese New Year.
A 2019 parliamentary inquiry into the matter concluded that banning the public sale of fireworks would likely be “inefficient” and have “significant financial implications”.
However, he suggested the government should work with animal welfare experts to establish a reduced maximum noise level.
“We are saddened by Roxy’s death and our thoughts are with the team who cared for her at Edinburgh Zoo,” a spokesperson for the Department of Business and Trade told CNN on Thursday.
