An adorable red panda has died at Edinburgh Zoo – just months after two others were frightened to death by fireworks.
The Record previously told how three-month-old kit Roxie died after choking on her own vomit from “stress” caused by fireworks, as explosions boomed across the city throughout the evening. Her mother Ginger also died unexpectedly just five days earlier, which was suspected to have been linked to fireworks.
Edinburgh Zoo have now confirmed that Kevyn, who was transferred to the zoo in 2022 after spending ten years at the Highland Wildlife Park where he fathered seven kits, has also passed away. He had been living with his new female, Priya, while suffering from age related health issues.
Kevyn was being cared for closely by the expert keepers and vets and in a statement released by Edinburgh Zoo was described as a “favourite among staff and visitors”. It read: “We are sad to share the loss of Kevyn, our eldest male red panda, who passed away this weekend.
“At 14 years old, Kevyn had been facing age related health issues and was being cared for closely by our expert keepers and vets.
“After spending 10 years at Highland Wildlife Park and fathering seven kits, he moved to Edinburgh Zoo in 2022, where he has been living with our new female, Priya.
“He was a favourite among staff and visitors during his time at both our charity’s zoos and will be hugely missed.”
We reported how the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) is urging the Scottish Parliament to impose tighter restrictions on pyrotechnics after Roxie and Ginger died on Bonfire Night.
Ben Supple, RZSS deputy chief executive, 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 Ginger, just five days’ earlier.”
A public petition calling for tighter restrictions on the use of fireworks was signed by more than a million people and delivered to the UK Government in November.
Ben explained then: “Fireworks can cause fear and distress for pets, livestock and animals in zoos, so it is essential that the UK and Scottish governments tighten restrictions on their sale and use. We support calls from animal welfare charities to ban the sale of fireworks to the public, with only light displays being permitted at organised events.
“This would help avoid devastating consequences for animals like Roxie while ensuring that people can still enjoy traditional celebrations.”
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