How many more red pandas need to die before we realise further reform to firework handling is urgently needed?
Ginger and Roxie, the adorable creatures from Edinburgh zoo have died in horrific circumstances. Red panda Bruce, the father and partner, has suffered the loss of a child and a mate in one week.
Their deaths? Unnecessary and caused by our need to watch a big spark in the sky go boom.
Do I feel personally attached to red pandas because we share the same hair colour and a love for sleeping? Maybe. But that does not diminish the fact that their deaths could have been so easily prevented.
Veterinary experts believe it’s likely three-month-old kit Roxie died due to stress caused by fireworks being let off across the city centre during Bonfire Night. She choked on her own vomit.
Roxie’s mother Ginger died unexpectedly five days earlier and experts cannot rule out this being linked to firework noise.
No wonder these creatures are dying because of our penchant for pyrotechnics. A colleague sent me a link to a firework named, and I’m not joking, “Panda Killers”. For the bargain price of £45 (on sale) you could devastate a small mammal family.
Following the tragedy, the zoo is now joining with animal welfare charities and other campaigners in calling for tighter restrictions on fireworks.
But we’ve been here before.
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Powers banning the use of fireworks came into force in four areas of Edinburgh at the start of this month. But this did not include the area around the zoo. It is now an offence to set off a firework within these areas, with a potential fine of up to £5,000, six months’ imprisonment, or both.
Nonetheless, on the dreaded night of November 5th, widespread disorder overwhelmed the streets of Edinburgh and beyond. Across the Capital, missiles and bricks were thrown at police. A car was set on fire in Glasgow’s Southside. Both human and animal kind are at risk from these gunpowder-happy devices.
As a result, there are calls to go further with restrictions. The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland and animal welfare charities want to ban the sale of fireworks to the public, with only light displays being permitted at organised events. They say this would help avoid the “devastating consequences” for animals like Roxie.
The Scottish Government’s community safety minister has written to the UK Government asking for a meeting to discuss what more can be done on fireworks regulations. It’s a reserved matter, the Scottish Government says, one for the UK government. Yet, in 2022 ministers were able to give local authorities the power to enforce control zones after a major riot in Dundee. Only some control zones have been enforced.
Ultimately, it would be easier if the UK government enforced a blanket ban across the whole country. However, there are calls for both governments to take urgent action now. We have 3 red pandas left in Edinburgh, we can’t afford to lose another.
