Roxie, a 3-months-old baby red panda, died of fireworks-induced stress

A three-month-old red panda cub named Roxie died at Edinburgh Zoo after choking on her own vomit, likely due to stress caused by fireworks during Bonfire Night on November 5. The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS), which runs the zoo, believes that the loud noises from the fireworks overwhelmed the young animal, leading to her untimely death.

BBC, New York Post, The Independent, Mundo, and The New York Times reported on the incident, among others. 

Roxie had recently lost her mother, Ginger, who died unexpectedly just five days earlier. Despite the loss, Roxie appeared to be doing well, feeding independently and responding positively to the specialized care provided by the zoo's expert team. "Before her death, Roxie was responding well to the specialized care of the zoo's expert team and was feeding independently," said Ben Supple, Deputy Chief Executive of the RZSS.

Closed-circuit camera footage revealed Roxie becoming agitated during the continuous noise of fireworks as the city celebrated Bonfire Night. Although she had access to her den with extra-deep bedding made of hay, the frightening sounds proved too much for her. "Very sadly, she choked on her vomit on Bonfire Night and our vets believe this was probably a reaction to fireworks," Supple said. "Although Roxie had access to her den, the frightening noise was probably too much for her." He expressed profound sadness over the loss, adding, "Roxie would have been a wonderful ambassador for red pandas."

The incident has prompted calls for stricter regulations on fireworks. The RZSS is advocating for tighter restrictions on their sale and use, supporting animal welfare organizations' calls to ban public sales and allow only organized displays during events. "Fireworks can cause fear and distress for pets, livestock, and animals in zoos, so it is essential that the UK and Scottish governments tighten restrictions on their sale and use," Supple stated.

More than one million people have signed a public petition seeking tighter controls on fireworks displays, which was delivered to the UK government last week. Veterinary experts from the RZSS and the RSPCA are calling for stricter restrictions, noting that the RSPCA received over 13,000 responses about animals' fear of fireworks in three years.

Bonfire Night, also known as Guy Fawkes Night, marks the anniversary of the unsuccessful 1605 Gunpowder Plot to blow up Parliament and kill the king. It is traditionally celebrated with massive bonfires and fireworks displays across the United Kingdom. Noise from fireworks can reach levels as high as 160 decibels or more, louder than a jet plane taking off from 100 yards away or a jackhammer. Such intense noise levels can cause severe stress to animals.

Red pandas like Roxie are particularly sensitive to noise. "Red pandas probably can hear sounds at a very low frequency, so fireworks, at any distance, can disturb them," Supple explained. He dismissed so-called silent fireworks as a solution, stating, "Silent fireworks can still emit low-frequency noises that likely disturb red pandas, as well as other species." Every year, zoo keepers observe signs of stress in many different species during fireworks displays in Edinburgh. At the Edinburgh Zoo, animals such as giraffes, chimpanzees, horses, lions, and tigers are kept locked up at night to better protect them during fireworks displays.

Red pandas are classified as an endangered species, threatened by habitat loss, human encroachment, and poaching. Native to the eastern Himalayas and parts of China, these cat-sized nocturnal animals have reddish fur and bushy tails. Only an estimated 2,500 red pandas are thought to remain in the wild. Conservation efforts are underway worldwide to preserve these animals. "Animals like Roxie are tremendously popular, and that helps engage people with nature and learn about the global biodiversity crisis, which is more important than ever," Supple said.

The RZSS is urging that only light displays be allowed during large public celebrations to prevent devastating consequences for animals like Roxie while ensuring that people can still enjoy traditional events. "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."

This article was written in collaboration with generative AI company Alchemiq