Geronimo news: Owner ‘disgusted’ by ‘barbaric’ killing of alpaca by government vets
Follow the latest updates below
Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world
Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email
The owner of Geronimo, an alpaca who was put down this morning following a years-long legal battle over positive bovine tuberculosis test results, has hit out the government for failing to “engage” with campaigners who pleaded for his life to be spared.
“I’m absolutely disgusted by this government. They know that they set him up four years ago with incompetence and bullying and a falsified test that has no validity and yet [here] we are this morning, Geronimo has been manhandled out of my farm,” Helen Macdonald told the media from her South Gloucestershire residence.
“These are barbaric actions of unscientific, abusive people in government and tax payers are paying for this.”
In a statement, released earlier, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) confirmed: “bTB-positive alpaca known as ‘Geronimo’ has been euthanised to prevent the spread of disease.”
It came a short time after Defra officials, accompanied by Avon and Somerset Police, arrived at Ms Macdonald’s farm wearing head-to-toe protection in Wickwar, near Bristol, to take the animal away.
After dramatic scenes in which he was seen running away and being dragged back by officers, Geronimo was eventually loaded into a trailer and driven to an undisclosed location where he was euthanised by staff from the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA).
Good morning, and welcome to The Independent’s rolling coverage of Geronimo the alpaca. Stay tuned as we give you the latest updates after police arrived at the farm he belongs to with an execution warrant.
Alpaca Geronimo faces execution as police arrive at farm
Here’s a bit of context. Geronimo is under orders to be killed because he tested positive for bovine tuberculosis four years ago. But Helen Macdonald, his owner, argues that the testing is flawed and that her animal is healthy.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) was granted a warrant to euthanise the alpaca within 30 days from 5 August, leaving officials with four days left to execute Geronimo.
Police could been seen arriving with a horse-box style vehicle this morning and webcam footage showed Geronimo making a break for freedom and running into a field to join his fellow alpacas.
Several officers then followed him with a rope, chased the pack around the meadow, and finally led Geronimo back into his barn.
Ms Helen Macdonald toldThe Independent on Monday: “I’ve been made an example of and it’s the most cruel horrible thing you could do. I’m sitting here waiting for guns to turn up, it’s just wicked.”
My colleague Holly Bancroft has more:
Alpaca Geronimo faces execution as police arrive at farm in Gloucestershire
Geronimo the alpaca faces being executed today as police escort the animal away from his farm in Gloucestershire.
Geronimo has officially been euthanised, Defra confirms
Geronimo the alpaca has been euthanised to prevent the spread of bovine tuberculosis, the government has confirmed.
“bTB-positive alpaca known as ‘Geronimo’ has been euthanised to prevent the spread of disease,” a statement from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said.
The infected animal was moved from the premises and euthanised by staff from the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) as a necessary measure to control the spread of bovine tuberculosis (bTB), it added.
Chief Veterinary Officer Christine Middlemiss said: “This is a terribly sad situation and our sympathies remain with all those affected by this devastating disease.
“No one wants to have to cull infected animals if it can be avoided, but we need to follow the scientific evidence and cull animals that have tested positive for bTB to minimise spread of this insidious disease and ultimately eradicate the biggest threat to animal health in this country.”
She added: “Not only is this essential to protect the livelihoods of our farming industry and rural communities, but it is also necessary avoid more TB cases in humans.”
PM’s spokesperson sends ‘sympathies’ to Geronimo owner
Boris Johnson’s official spokesperson spoke very briefly about the passing of Geronimo this morning.
“It’s obviously highly distressing for someone to lose animals to TB and that’s a situation that farmers sadly have to face,” they told reporters.
“Our sympathies are with Ms Macdonald and any others that are affected by this terrible disease.”
Geronimo has been killed by government vets
Geronimo the alpaca has been removed from his farm in Gloucestershire and killed as vets carried out a warrant issued by a court following two positive tests for bovine tuberculosis, Defra said.
Uniformed police helped officials wearing masks and blue overalls take the animal from his pen at the farm in Wickwar, watched by the media and campaigners.
“The infected animal was moved from the premises and euthanised by staff from the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) as a necessary measure to control the spread of bovine tuberculosis,” the department said in a statement.
Holly Bancroft reports:
Geronimo the alpaca has been killed by government vets
‘This is a terribly sad situation’ says Defra chief vet
‘Biggest mistake Defra has ever made,’ warns vet
Veterinary surgeon Dr Iain McGill has condemned the action taken by government officials to kill Geronimo the alpaca, predicting it will be the “biggest PR disaster Defra has ever made”.
Dr McGill, who has risen to prominence in recent weeks for his work campaigning for the safe return of animals and veterinary staff from Afghanistan, said he was shocked by the timing of the decision.
“While I’m working to get vulnerable vets and vet nurses out of Afghanistan, who the government left behind, Defra in its wisdom has decided it’s a really good day to kill the most famous animal in the world,” he said in video shared to Twitter.
He added: “It’s going to be the biggest PR disaster Defra has ever made, as if there wasn’t enough PR disasters coming out of Afghanistan already.”
More than 100 MPs demand govt bans animal fur sales
In other animal rights-related news, Boris Johnson’s government has been accused of allowing the UK to “outsource animal cruelty”.
Some 102 cross-party MPs and peers have written to environment secretary George Eustace to call on the government to ban the import and sale of animal fur in the UK.
It comes 20 years after animal fur farming was banned across Britain, although the government still allows it to be imported and sold.
Carrie Johnson, the prime minister’s wife, previously responded to a report in The Independent on conditions at a Polish fur farm by saying that anyone who buys fur is “sick,” writes Adam Forrest.
100 MPs and peers demand ban on ‘cruel’ animal fur sales
Carrie Johnson has previously described those who buy fur as ‘sick’
Geronimo’s owner ‘disgusted’ by ‘murder’ of alpaca
Geronimo’s owner, Helen Macdonald, has spoken from the farm her alpaca was “manhandled out” from this morning.
She told reporters she still believes the alpaca’s bovine TB test results returned false positives.
Speaking from the South Gloucestershire farm, Ms Macdonald criticised the government for the way it handled Geronimo’s case and removal.
In a statement, she told the media:
“The government has refused to engage in good faith. We now know they have been stringing us along for the last week, fobbing us off by saying that people are on holiday and would get back to us this week.
“Now we know that they were not only ignoring our consistent pleas for constructive dialogue but had no intention of engaging with us.
“In fact, all the time they were simply planning to murder Geronimo. This is yet another appalling demonstration of bad faith and duplicity.
“I’m absolutely disgusted by this government. They know that they set him up four years ago with incompetence and bullying and a falsified test that has no validity and yet there we are this this morning and Geronimo has been man-handled out of my farm.
“These are barbaric actions of unscientific, abusive people in government and tax payers are paying for this.”
Woman arrested and then de-arrested at Geronimo removal
A woman, part of the small crowd of supporters who had been camping out at Helen Macdonald’s farm to try to prevent officials arriving to destroy Geronimo, was arrested by Avon and Somerset Police earlier.
It came after she sprayed officers with a water pistol as the force moved in to assist Defra with removing the alpaca to be euthanised.
However, she was quickly “de-arrested”, a report by PA suggests.
A spokesperson for Avon and Somerset Police later said: “We can confirm officers are in attendance at a farm in the Wickwar area of South Gloucestershire this morning to support the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), who are executing a court warrant.
“We’ll always support our partner agencies to carry out their lawful duties and our role is to prevent a breach of the peace and to ensure public safety is protected.”
‘Defra will regret slaughtering Geronimo,’ warns vet
Following my post earlier, veterinary surgeon Dr Iain McGill updated a tweet to say Geronimo was “executed” by the government - rather than “killed”.
He also moved to warn Defra that they would “regret” their decision to go ahead with culling the alpaca.
“Whilst I’m trying to get vets and vet nurses out of Kabul, Defra have gone behind my back and slaughtered Geronimo the alpaca,” Dr McGill, who said the animal was under his care, said in the seven-second clip. “Defra will regret this.”
Earlier, he predicted the move would be “the biggest PR disaster Defra has ever made”.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies