[Animals] Scottish animal charity calls for fireworks ban after baby red panda dies from noise stress

[Aronus]

LONDON — Animal campaigners are calling for a ban on the public sale of fireworks after a baby red panda was thought to have died from stress related to the noise.

The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, a conservation charity that runs Edinburgh Zoo, said Wednesday that it was likely that Roxie, a 3-month-old red panda kit, "died due to stress caused by fireworks being let off across the city centre."

Fireworks are set off across the United Kingdom on and around Nov. 5, known as Bonfire Night or Guy Fawkes Night, in celebration of the failure of a plot to blow up the Houses of Parliament by a group of dissident Catholics in 1605.

The tradition is centuries old and unique to the U.K., with some towns creating huge elaborate effigies of Guy Fawkes to be burned — sometimes instead building models of contemporary figures, including former prime ministers Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak.

But animal rights campaigners and pet owners have long complained that the noise causes extreme distress to animals.

The zoological society said that the red panda's mother also died just five days earlier and that her death could also be related to fireworks noise.

“Roxie had recently lost her mum Ginger but was responding well to specialist care from our expert team and was feeding independently," Ben Supple, the society's deputy chief executive, said in a statement.

"Very sadly, she choked on her vomit on bonfire night and our vets believe this was probably a reaction to fireworks," Supple said.

 

Baby red panda dies from fireworks noise stress, Edinburgh zoo says