Fireworks blamed for death of red panda kit at zoo

Zoo owners are linking the death of a baby red panda on Bonfire Night to fireworks and have called for tighter regulations.

Wildlife conservation charity the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS), which owns Edinburgh Zoo, said vets blame the death of three-month-old panda kit Roxie on her reaction to fireworks in the local area.

Roxie choked on her own vomit at the zoo on Bonfire Night.

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 are also concerned that fireworks cause stress to other animals in the zoo.”

Mr Supple called on the Scottish and UK governments to tighten regulations on fireworks and backed a ban on their sale to the public.

He 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.

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

He added: “Firework exclusion zones are a positive step but we are concerned they will not adequately protect animals in zoos.

“The noise from fireworks can travel over large distances, meaning any exclusion zone around Edinburgh Zoo would need to cover most of the city.

“Many of the animals in the zoo will also be disturbed by noises at lower frequencies even if the decibel level is reduced.”

The charity is urging people to contact their local MP and MSP to support a petition containing more than one million signatures calling for tighter firework restrictions which was delivered to Downing Street earlier this month.

Scottish community safety minister Siobhian Brown said: “Fireworks are very distressing for animals and this is sad news.

“I understand why there are a calls for a ban on fireworks, however this is a reserved issue to Westminster and not currently within the Scottish Government’s powers.

“I have written to the UK Government asking for a meeting to discuss what more can be done on fireworks regulations and will also continue to engage with partners to discuss what further action may be considered.

“Within our powers we have provided local authorities with powers to designate firework control zones, which ban the use of fireworks in local areas, and these were used for the first time this year in areas across Edinburgh over the Bonfire Night period.

“Community organisations are also able to apply to the council for their local area to be made a firework control zone.”

A UK Department for Business and Trade spokesperson said: “We are sorry to hear of the death of Roxie the panda and our thoughts are with the team who cared for her at Edinburgh Zoo.

“We endeavour to keep pets and the public safe and that’s why we launched a new fireworks safety campaign this season to help people use them safely and appropriately.”

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.

“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.”