In brief
Roxie, a three-month-old red panda, died after being frightened by fireworks in Edinburgh—sparking calls for better controls on such displays.
Roxie, a baby red panda at Edinburgh Zoo, passed away recently. Just five days before her death, she lost her mother, Ginger. Zookeepers initially worried about her survival but felt hopeful when she began to eat on her own. However, joy quickly turned to sorrow when footage revealed that Roxie was distressed by the loud fireworks during Bonfire Night celebrations. “Roxie was very frightened by the fireworks,” said Ben Supple, the zoo’s deputy chief executive. Tragically, the stress caused her to become ill, and she choked on her vomit, leading to her untimely death on November 5. “It’s heartbreaking to have lost Roxie at such a young age,” Mr. Supple added, emphasizing that she could have been a great ambassador for her species.In response to Roxie's death, the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland is advocating for stricter regulations on fireworks during public celebrations. Over one million people have signed a petition demanding the government impose tighter controls, which was delivered recently as a call to action following this unfortunate incident.
