Geronimo the alpaca is killed by vets in UK after four-year battle to save him fails
- The alpaca was carrying bovine tuberculosis and his death sentence pitted animal activists against the government
- Helen Macdonald, who imported Geronimo from New Zealand in 2017, said the animal’s destruction was ‘barbaric’ and unscientific
British government veterinary surgeons on Tuesday killed Geronimo, an alpaca whose sentence of death for carrying bovine tuberculosis made international headlines and pitted animal activists against the state.
Veterinary staff in blue overalls, masks and goggles, backed by police officers, arrived at the western England farm where the animal lives, and took Geronimo from his pen. The scene was witnessed by animal activists and journalists who have camped out at the farm in Wickwar, 110 miles (175km) west of London, vowing to stop the killing.
The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs confirmed the animal had been euthanised and a postmortem examination would be conducted.
The animal was sentenced to death after twice testing positive for bovine TB (bTB). Geronimo’s owner, Helen Macdonald, argued the tests had produced false positives and battled for a third test.
Several veterinary surgeons backed her cause, but earlier this month a High Court judge rejected Macdonald’s request for a temporary injunction to stop the killing order and reopen the case.