Fireworks blamed for red panda's death at Scottish zoo

The operators of Edinburgh Zoo in Scotland have linked the death of a baby red panda last week to fireworks and called for tighter regulations.

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

She died at the zoo on Bonfire Night, which is celebrated in the UK on 5 November.

RZSS deputy Chief Executive Ben Supple 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.

"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," Mr Supple said.

"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."

A petition calling for tighter firework restrictions, containing more than one million signatures, was given to the UK government earlier this month.

Scotland's 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 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".