A baby red panda died from “fireworks-induced stress” after choking on his own vomit just five days after his mother’s death, according to an animal rights group, prompting calls for tighter restrictions on the sale of fireworks to the public.

Veterinary experts at the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland announced on Wednesday that a 3-month-old panda named Roxie died “due to stress caused by fireworks exploding in the city centre.”

“Roxie had recently lost her mother, Ginger, but was responding well to the expert care of our specialist team and was feeding independently. Very sadly, she choked on her vomit on bonfire night and our vets believe this was likely a reaction to the fireworks,” the trustee said. Ben Supple, managing director of RZSS. “He had access to Roxie’s den, but the frightening sounds seemed to be too much for him. We know that fireworks can cause stress in other animals at the zoo, and we cannot rule out that they may have contributed to the untimely death of Roxie’s mother, Ginger, just five days ago.”

The United Kingdom was celebrating Guy Fawkes Night (or Bonfire Night) on 5 November; This was an annual celebration of bonfires and fireworks to commemorate the failure of a planned plot by a group of dissenting Catholics to assassinate the Protestant king. James I and blew up the Houses of Parliament in 1605.

Following Roxie’s death, a public petition signed by more than a million people calling for tighter restrictions on the use of fireworks was forwarded to the UK government last week, RZSS said.

“Fireworks can cause fear and distress to pets, livestock and zoo animals, so it is vital that the UK and Scottish governments tighten restrictions on their sale and use,” Supple said. “We support calls from animal welfare charities to ban the sale of fireworks to the public and allow only light displays at organized events.”

In August, Edinburgh became the first Scottish region to ban the use of fireworks in certain parts of the city around Bonfire Night in August; control zones were in place from 1 to 10 November, meaning that anyone who ignited private firework displays could be criminally charged.

But RZSS thinks the restrictions do not go far enough and urges the public to contact local government officials to get a broader ban passed; Supple says this will do more to protect animals.

“This will help prevent devastating consequences for animals like Roxie while ensuring people can still enjoy traditional celebrations,” Supple said.