Plea to stop shooting fireworks after they cause death of baby red panda

By Elizabeth Hunter via SWNS

A zoo has issued a plea for people to avoid letting off Hogmanay fireworks - after Bonfire Night blasts caused the death of a baby red panda.

Three-month-old Roxie, a red panda at Edinburgh Zoo, died after choking on her own vomit, as explosions boomed across the city throughout Bonfire Night.

Roxie’s mother Ginger also died unexpectedly five days earlier, which may have been linked to fireworks.

Ben Supple, the wildlife conservation charity’s deputy chief executive, said, “Edinburgh Council cannot create a fireworks exclusion zone around the zoo in time for Hogmanay due to the minimum consultation period required, so we are asking residents to help by not setting off fireworks which may frighten animals.

“As always, we will do all we can to protect animals in the zoo from fireworks, including keeping them indoors and providing deep bedding where possible to reduce the impact of the noise.”

The charity’s call for tighter restrictions on fireworks has received enormous support since Roxie’s death in November.

Ben added, “We have been inundated by messages from people who were shocked by what happened to Roxie and believe the UK government should ban fireworks from being sold to the public due to the severe impact they can have on animals.

“Firework control zones are a positive step but only part of the solution as the noise from explosions can carry over long distances. So-called silent fireworks are also an improvement, though they can emit low frequency sounds which can cause distress to animals.

“We believe displays should be restricted to organized events which use the latest light and drone technology and are completely silent.

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