A baby red panda died from “fireworks-induced stress” after choking on its own vomit just five days after its mother’s death, an animal rights group says, leading to has led to calls for tighter restrictions on the public sale of fireworks.

Veterinary experts from the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland announced on Wednesday that a 3-month-old panda named Roxie had died “due to stress caused by fireworks in the city centre”.

“Roxie had recently lost her mother Ginger, but she was responding well to the specialist care of our expert team and was feeding independently. Very unfortunately, she choked on her vomit on the night of the bonfire and our vets believe that it was probably a reaction to the fireworks,” the deputy said. Ben Supple, Managing Director of RZSS. “Roxie gained access to her den but the frightening noises appear to have been too loud for her. We know that fireworks can cause stress to other animals at the zoo and we cannot rule out that they may have contributed to the untimely death of Roxie’s mother, five days earlier.”

The United Kingdom celebrated Guy Fawkes Night – or Bonfire Night – on November 5, an annual celebration including bonfires and fireworks to commemorate the failed plot by a group of dissident Catholics to murder the Protestant king at the time. at the time, James I, and blew up Parliament in 1605.

In the wake of Roxie’s death, a public petition calling for tougher restrictions on the use of fireworks – signed by more than a million people – was delivered to the UK government last week, RZSS said .

“Fireworks can cause fear and distress in pets, livestock and zoo animals, so it is essential that the UK and Scottish governments tighten restrictions on their sale and use,” said Supplement. “We support calls from animal welfare charities to ban the sale of fireworks to the public, with only light shows permitted at organized events.”

In August, Edinburgh became the first Scottish region to ban the use of fireworks in parts of the city around Bonfire Night, with control zones extending from November 1 to 10, meaning that all person lighting private fireworks could be criminally charged.

RZSS, however, believes the restrictions do not go far enough and urges the public to contact local authorities for a broader ban, which Supple believes will do more to protect animals.

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