A zoo in Scotland is blaming the death of a baby red panda on fireworks let off over Bonfire Night.
Edinburgh Zoo said three-month-old Roxie died after choking on her own vomit.
The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS), which runs the zoo, has blamed fireworks in the local area for her untimely death.
Ben Supple, RZSS deputy chief executive, has now called on the Scottish and UK governments to tighten regulations on fireworks, saying their sale to the public should be banned.
He said: ‘Roxie had recently lost her mum Ginger but was responding well to specialist care from our expert team and was feeding independently.
‘Very sadly, she choked on her vomit on Bonfire Night and our vets believe this was probably a reaction to fireworks.
‘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 five days earlier.’
This month, a petition with more than 1million signatures demanding increased restrictions was delivered to Downing Street.
Backed by the RSPCA, it sought the restricted use of fireworks to traditional festivals and a reduction in the maximum decibel level.
According to UK law, fireworks are banned between 11pm and 7am, excluding on Bonfire Night, New Year’s Eve, Diwali and lunar new year, which have varying cutoff times.
In Scotland, private fireworks can be used only between 6pm and 11pm.
Ben said that while firework exclusion zones were a positive step, he still has concerns over noise levels even with a reduced decibel level.
He added: ‘The noise from fireworks can travel over large distances, meaning any exclusion zone around Edinburgh zoo would need to cover most of the city.
‘Many of the animals in the zoo will also be disturbed by noises at lower frequencies even if the decibel level is reduced.’
Scottish community safety minister Siobhian Brown said: ‘Fireworks are very distressing for animals and this is sad news.
‘Within our powers we have provided local authorities with powers to designate firework control zones, which ban the use of fireworks in local areas, and these were used for the first time this year in areas across Edinburgh over the Bonfire Night period.
‘I have written to the UK government asking for a meeting to discuss what more can be done on fireworks regulations and will also continue to engage with partners to discuss what further action may be considered.’
A UK Department for Business and Trade spokesperson said: ‘We endeavour to keep pets and the public safe and that’s why we launched a new fireworks safety campaign this season to help people use them safely and appropriately.’
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