The death of a rare baby red panda at Edinburgh Zoo stress caused by fireworks – As experts call for stricter regulations.

A three-month-old red panda cub named Roxie died in her enclosure on Bonfire Night. The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS), which runs the zoo, said there was “probably” a link. Fireworks are set off in the city center and death.

veterinary experts wildlife conservation charity They are now calling for tighter restrictions on the use of fireworks. The death of Roxie’s mother, Ginger, just five days before, was also linked to firework noise.

Announcing Ginger’s death at the end of October, the charity said: “(Roxie) is old enough to survive without her mother at this stage.”

“Our expert caregivers will keep a close eye on it as it continues to grow.”

Red Pandas are an endangered species and there are ongoing conservation efforts around the world to protect the animal. It is thought that only about 2,500 of this species remain in the wild, native to the Eastern Himalayas and parts of China.

Ben Supple, deputy chief executive of the charity, said: “Roxie had recently lost her mother Ginger but was responding well to the expert care of our specialist team and was feeding independently.

“Sadly (he died) on Bonfire Night and our vets believe it was probably a reaction to the fireworks. Roxie had access to the study, but the scary sounds seemed to be too much for her.

“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.”

In August, Edinburgh became the first council in Scotland to vote to ban the use of fireworks in parts of the city around Bonfire Night.

Local authorities in the country can designate fireworks control zones following the 2022 riot in Dundee. But animal welfare campaigners have called on UK governments to do more.

“We support calls from animal welfare charities to ban the sale of fireworks to the public, with only light displays permitted at organized events,” Mr Supple said.

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

Edinburgh Council Leader Cammy Day has called for a total ban on public firework sales at the end of October due to frequent and violent abuse.