A newborn red panda was said to have perished from stress brought on by the noise, prompting animal activists to demand that fireworks be banned from public sale.
The conservation agency that oversees Edinburgh Zoo, the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS), stated on Wednesday that Roxie, a three-month-old red panda cub, most likely “died due to stress caused by fireworks being let off across the city centre.”
On and around November 5, often known as Bonfire Night or Guy Fawkes Night, fireworks are lit all around the United Kingdom to commemorate the failure of a conspiracy by a group of rebel Catholics in 1605 to blow up the Houses of Parliament.
Some towns construct enormous, intricate effigies of Guy Fawkes to be burned, a centuries-old custom that is exclusive to the United Kingdom. Other towns construct models of modern people, such as former prime ministers Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak.
However, pet owners and animal rights activists have long lamented that the noise severely distresses the animals.
According to RZSS, fireworks noise may have contributed to the red panda’s mother’s death, which occurred only five days prior.
In a statement, RZSS deputy chief executive Ben Supple stated, “Roxie had recently lost her mother 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,” Supple stated.
“Roxie had access to her lair, but it appears that the frightful sounds were too much for her. We cannot rule out the possibility that pyrotechnics may have had a role in Roxie’s mother Ginger’s premature death five days prior, as we are aware that they may stress out other zoo animals,” he said.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s residence and private office, No. 10 Downing Street, received a petition last week with almost 1.1 million signatures that calls for stricter regulations on the sale of pyrotechnics, including regulating noise levels and permitting sales only on certain occasions.
This year, Edinburgh City Council became the first local government in Scotland to prohibit fireworks in certain places. From November 1 to November 11, pyrotechnics purchased privately were prohibited in four districts.
However, others have gone so far as to demand that fireworks be sold anywhere in the country, with the exception of major public events that are licensed.
“We support calls from animal welfare charities to ban the sale of fireworks to the public, with only light displays being permitted at organized events,” Supple stated.
“This would help avoid devastating consequences for animals like Roxie while ensuring that people can still enjoy traditional celebrations.”
