Edinburgh baby red panda Shivapuri dies from stress amid Bonfire Night fireworks chaos

Horrified zookeepers have revealed a baby red panda has died from stress during Bonfire Night chaos.

Nine-month-old Shivapuri was found dead at Edinburgh Zoo the day after the annual fireworks festival, having suffered respiratory distress during the night.

It is believed the noise and light from the fireworks, which were set off just a few hundred meters from the zoo, caused the male cub to become stressed and die.

Keepers are now calling for a ban on the sale of fireworks in Edinburgh, which they say are causing unnecessary suffering to animals.

"We are heartbroken by the loss of Shivapuri," said Jo Harrison, animal collections manager at Edinburgh Zoo.

"We believe the noise and light from the fireworks caused him to become stressed, which led to his death."

"Fireworks are a major source of stress for animals, and we believe they should be banned in Edinburgh."

Harrison said the zoo had been working with the city council to reduce the noise and light pollution from fireworks, but more needed to be done to protect animals.

"We have been working with the city council to reduce the noise and light pollution from fireworks, but we need more to be done to protect animals," she said.

"We are calling for a ban on the sale of fireworks in Edinburgh. We believe this is the only way to stop animals from suffering in this way."

A spokesperson for the City of Edinburgh Council said the council was "deeply saddened" by Shivapuri's death.

"We are currently reviewing our fireworks policy and will be considering all options to reduce the impact of fireworks on animals," the spokesperson said.

"We would encourage all residents to consider the impact of fireworks on animals before setting them off."

According to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), fireworks can cause animals a great deal of distress.

"Fireworks can cause animals a great deal of distress," the RSPCA said.

"They can make animals anxious, stressed and even cause them physical harm."

"We would urge people to consider the welfare of animals when setting off fireworks and to do so in a responsible manner."