Summary
A baby red panda named Roxie at the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland died from “stress caused by fireworks” after choking on her vomit, just days after her mother’s sudden death.
The incident, occurring around the U.K.’s Bonfire Night celebrations, has led to renewed calls for stricter fireworks regulations.
A petition with over a million signatures urging restrictions on public fireworks sales was submitted to the U.K. government.
Edinburgh recently implemented limited fireworks control zones, but animal welfare advocates argue for broader measures to prevent similar tragedies.
I’m not British but have been living here over a decade and I still notice how frequently fireworks go off a week leading up to any of the big nights and for a several days after. Other places I’ve been in Europe very much do fireworks on new years eve only, and just a small handful of teenagers might be playing with fireworks a few days early, or playing with the leftovers the next day.