A baby red panda at Edinburgh zoo choked on her own vomit in terror at the fireworks last week

@Bortand

I don't want to come across as full of virtue but I don't eat eggs or drink milk.

I do really love a mini baby bel though!!!

So sad. What kind of muppets would think it's ok to let off fireworks anywhere remotely within distance of a zoo?

News articles

I really enjoy fireworks (sorry) but I’ve never been able to understand the rationale for allowing the sale of explosives to the general public to use at home.

If the majority of ppl didn't like fireworks then there'd be no demand for paid-for events & the silent ones would have taken over already.

Badly flawed logic.
Only a small minority of people go to these events. All they need is for enough people to cover their costs.

There's all sorts of things society tolerated or encouraged in the past but which we don't now because we understand the harms.

Who on earth puts the momentary extra enjoyment some people might experience from noisy fireworks vs suffering and even death inflicted on animals and other humans who can't escape the noise? Would they really enjoy a silent display, or one with music - maybe a drone light show? - so much less as to be worth the distress?

All extremely sad but people still dig their heals in
Suggest writing to your MP and Daniel Zeichner MP for farming
Possibly Mary Creagh MP aswell, MP for the environment and rural affairs

Ive just dropped ours an email.

Yes exactly. We know that fireworks damage the sensitive hearing/navigation systems in migratory birds & bees which leads to their death. Hedgehogs preparing to hibernate can also affected.

That's just the bangs - the pollution & litter from rockets landing in livestock fields & wildlife areas also kills.

We have buzzards, kites & owls nesting on the farm - all of which are in decline.

We found a dead buzzard last week - no way of knowing how/why it died but the recent fireworks could have been to blame.

Bonfire night wasn’t historically celebrated in Ireland as it was all about burning Catholics

The point really is that if this is happening to the sheep as PP noted it’s more than likely happening to wildlife that we know nothing about.

@Serencwtch isnt that the wider point you were making?

I hope you have told the school what their firework display has done
Personally I’d give them some pictures!

No I didn’t know there was a zoo near the harbour.
To be fare I had the entire world to think about 🤯

I don't need a random internet user to take me seriously. HTH.

Your first paragraph is perfectly valid, but your final sentence is just unnecessary & means I can't take you seriously 🤷🏼‍♀️

Personally, I find the needless suffering of both people and animals offensive, simply because selfish people want to hear bangs. It's rather pathetic. But then I feel the same about sport and the pan-banging fiasco too.

Empty vessels make the most noise.

Haven't RTFT so don't know if anyone has asked/answered this already.

From the linked page:

Jason believes Bonfire Night should only be marked with proper or official fireworks displays that have a license from the government.
However, the Inquiry ultimately recommended that "While people who want to ban the public from buying and using fireworks have valid concerns that must be addressed, we cannot support a ban before other, less drastic but potentially more effective, options have been fully explored… …it is not appropriate to ban the public from buying and using fireworks at this time, as it would not be a proportionate measure." [1] (my bold)

What are these other options, & have they been implemented?

The red pandas in Edinburgh aren't in cages

Not at all!

I see many hundreds of births & deaths. I see my animals happy & healthy, I see them when they are sick & in pain and see them when they are in extreme distress from being chased by a loose dog or by fireworks. I see all those things & understand my animals.

They don't fear slaughter, they have no ability to understand it. They don't suffer at slaughter. It is quick & painless.

Sad how distanced you have all become where you think it's fine to cause distress & suffering purely for your entertainment but humane slaughter is 'cruel'

How many animals have you seen slaughtered? How many have you seen in pain or suffering distress! I see both & can understand the differences.

Definitely not me on a high horse here.

They don't suffer when they are slaughtered.

Animals like sheep are not aware of death & don't understand or fear it.

They do fear pain & suffering & experienced intense suffering during & after fireworks season.

Actually as farmers we are very aware of pain & suffering and do all we can to avoid it. Unlike the idiots letting off fireworks over the farm or the dog owners letting their dogs stray into the fields.

Woah there Nelly! That's really rather offensive.

If the majority of ppl didn't like fireworks then there'd be no demand for paid-for events & the silent ones would have taken over already.

As a rule, humans find loud sky noises frightening - it's just nature. The combo of twinkly lights turn that natural fear into a thrill in the same way as roller coasters & hot chillies. It's a scary thing, but you know you're safe. We're also pack animals so standing around with lots of others having the same experience at the same moment is pretty powerful. Think live sports & concerts. Even the pan banging during covid for the NHS - obvs no fear there but the sense of ppl around you doing the same thing at the same time is affirming.

@FelixtheAardvark seeing as bonfire night was on the 5th the zoo was probably unprepared for idiots setting them off in their own back garden past the date.

Why was nobody apparently looking after this rare newborn animal is probably a better question?

Yep, whataboutery. This sounds like a purity spiral where you can't do something to improve things unless everything else is already perfect.

The use of these by yobs who attack the emergency services or members of the public is reason enough to require a licence in my view.

@StandingSideBySide Im guessing you’re not UK based, I can’t think of a zoo near a harbour?

Really. Couldn’t think of any place that has massive fireworks displays on a harbour environment???

It’s…….. Sydney. To clue you in, we have massive fireworks display every single year at New Years Eve centred around our harbour. Pre Covid, we’d actually get international visitors in the millions, just for this. This is often broadcast around the world as it’s quite brilliant, to be fair (amazing backdrop). Not saying it’s the best, but it’s up there. We make a decent effort😁.

As I said, we have a large zoo right on the harbour. The zoo contains many animals of all sorts. Think of an Arc but much much bigger. These animals are front and centre with an enormous fireworks display. They don’t seem to drop dead. Last time I visited the zoo, there were red panda’s (living).

Poor little panda. And her mother likely died from stress too. I hate fireworks and dislike them even more now.

Regarding baby lambs, they may be born to be reared as meat but this doesn’t mean it’s fine for ewes to go through the trauma of an stress-induced stillbirth.