Geronimo has been at the centre of a legal fight after testing positive for bovine tuberculosis.
Geronimo, the alpaca at the centre of a tuberculosis protest, has been killed, officials have confirmed.
Police and Defra officials removed the alpaca from the south Gloucestershire farm where he lives on Tuesday.
Defra (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) later confirmed that Geronimo was euthanized after a court-ordered destruction warrant was carried out.
Defra ordered that the alpaca be killed after he twice tested positive for bovine tuberculosis.
This led to a legal battle between Defra and the owner of the farm where Geronimo lives, Helen Macdonald.
Macdonald disputed the test results and mounted court challenged to save him from being destroyed.
The BBC reports that police entered Geronimo’s pen soon after they arrived at the farm in Wickwar, near Bristol, at 11am.
The alpaca was then led away from the farm under police escort, with a number of protestors watching on.
Police and Defra officials seen leading Geronimo away from farm https://t.co/fmsAEQRKrx pic.twitter.com/S0qx0Y8yRy
— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) August 31, 2021
A spokesman for the police said that they were at the farm to support Defra officials.
They added: “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.”
On Tuesday morning, Macdonald tweeted: “DEFRA have arrived! We are asking once again for an urgent meeting with George Eustice. Please don’t execute Geronimo.”
DEFRA have arrived! We are asking once again for an urgent meeting with George Eustice. Please don’t execute Geronimo.
— Helen Macdonald 🇺🇦🖤💜🖤 (@alpacapower) August 31, 2021
Protests have been taking place at the farm in recent weeks, as animal rights activists try to save Geronimo.
https://www.facebook.com/www.JOE.co.uk/posts/2213503825480338
The legal battle between Defra and Macdonald has been going on since July 2018, when the government applied for a court order to have the alpaca destroyed after he tested positive for bovine tuberculosis in August and November 2017.
