The Edinburgh Zoo, located in Edinburgh, Scotland, is an 82-acre non-profit zoological park that more than 2,500 animals call their home.
It’s the largest zoo in the country of Scotland, and they do have endangered red pandas living there.
Half of the red pandas in the world reside in the Eastern Himalayas, and they are protected in Myanmar, India, China, Bhutan, and Nepal.
The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland says that there are, unfortunately, fewer than 2,500 red pandas remaining in the wild, and poaching, as well as habitat loss, are contributing to their demise.
You might be surprised to learn that despite their name, red pandas are not actually related to giant pandas at all, and they are closer to skunks, raccoons, and weasels.
Earlier today, the Edinburgh Zoo released a statement announcing that their baby red panda named Roxie, who was only three-months-old, passed away after being stressed out over fireworks.
In Edinburgh’s city center on the night of November 5th, fireworks were set off for a bonfire night celebration.
“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 deputy chief executive for The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, explained in the statement.
“Very sadly, she choked on her vomit on bonfire night, and our vets believe this was probably a reaction to fireworks.”
The Royal Zoological Society – pictured above is baby Roxie the red panda
“Roxie had access to her den but the frightening noises seem to have been too much for her. We know that fireworks can cause stress to other animals in the zoo and we cannot rule out that they may have contributed to the untimely death of Roxie’s mother Ginger, just five days’ earlier.”
Following Roxie’s tragic passing, a petition was started asking that the governments in Scotland and the United Kingdom tighten up their restrictions surrounding fireworks.
More than a million people signed the petition before it was ultimately delivered to the UK government for review.
“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,” Ben went on to say.
“We support calls from animal welfare charities to ban the sale of fireworks to the public, with only light displays being permitted at organised events.”
“This would help avoid devastating consequences for animals like Roxie while ensuring that people can still enjoy traditional celebrations.”
And in case you’re curious about alternative ways to celebrate without fireworks that don’t pose a threat to animals, here are a few ideas for you: lanterns, lights, glow sticks, bubbles, confetti, and lasers are all great options.
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