Zoo Links Baby Red Panda's Death To Fireworks

Edinburgh Zoo has linked the Bonfire Night death of a baby red panda named Roxie to fireworks.

Veterinary experts at Edinburgh Zoo owner The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) believe that the three-month-old kit died as a direct result of firework-caused stress. The RZSS has called for increased restrictions around firework sales and displays.

“Roxie had access to her den but the frightening noises seem to have been too much for her,” said RZSS Deputy Chief Executive Ben Supple. “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.”

Zoos are increasingly controversial, and many animal advocacy groups believe that keeping animals captive is cruel and unjustifiable. According to Freedom For Animals, which campaigns against zoos, Roxie’s death is further proof that zoos are “unnatural places that force animals to live in unnatural environments where they suffer from human-induced stresses.”

When it comes to fireworks, zoo animals are uniquely exposed by their proximity to houses, towns, and cities, combined with too-small enclosures. In 2020, a young zebra named Hope tried to bolt when people set off fireworks near Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm in Somerset. The eight-month-old animal died on impact with the boundary of her enclosure.

The problem with fireworks

Photo shows the silhouette of a crowd from behind as they watch fireworks at night — Adobe Stock Fireworks can negatively impact some older people, autistic people, children, and people with conditions such as PTSD, particularly when set off unexpectedly

Across the UK, fireworks are becoming more popular at events outside of typical celebrations such as Diwali, Bonfire Night, New Year’s Eve, and Chinese New Year. They are also more widely sold and frequently set off unpredictably on random days and at unusual times.

Lincolnshire-based Julie Doorne set up The Firework Campaign over a decade ago for people who are concerned about the impact of displays on animals and vulnerable people.

Earlier this month, Doorne delivered an RSPCA-backed petition with more than a million signatories to Downing Street calling for tighter regulations on fireworks, including a reduction in the maximum decibel level and 100 percent licensed sales.

Fireworks also feature in serious antisocial behavior, and a separate petition with nearly 50,000 signatures calls for an end to all unlicensed fireworks sales. This petition was started by the children of Josephine Smith, who was killed in a firework-caused house fire in 2021.

“The public fall into two categories, those who have no idea of the distress caused and those who know but don’t care,” Doorne previously told Plant Based News. “Every MP will have received emails detailing the problems of their constituents. They cannot deny they know about the issues, but are unwilling to do anything to help.”