New Zealand alpaca Geronimo set to die in UK after Boris Johnson refuses pleas to save it – New Zealand Herald

Geronimo, the Kiwi alpaca on death row in the UK. Photo / Change.org

An alpaca from Taumarunui is at the centre of a community groundswell in the UK, as people plead with the government there not to kill Geronimo.

The New Zealand-born alpaca has captured hearts across the UK, and several people have taken to social media asking the government to reconsider the order to put Geronimo down.

However, the ministers involved, and even Prime Minister Boris Johnson, have not wavered and Geronimo is set to die.

The 6-year-old alpaca from New Zealand, now living in Gloucestershire, was sentenced to death by a High Court judge after testing positive for bovine tuberculosis (bTB) twice.

Geronimo's owner, farmer Helen MacDonald, has made many public pleas for the alpaca's life, assuring that the animal is now healthy.

"Despite all the millions of people asking for fair treatment for Geronimo, it appears Defra [Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs] are still planning to upset the will of the people," she said, quoted by the Daily Mail.

"They have no regards for the evidence and no regards for mine or Geronimo's life."

The farmer has repeatedly pleaded with the Prime Minister and Environment Secretary George Eustice to halt the order to destroy Geronimo.

MacDonald claims the diagnosis of bTB is based on inaccurate testing that led to "false positives" and her beloved alpaca is healthy.

"He came from a farm in New Zealand where there's been no TB since 1994. It's bonkers," the farmer told Sky News.

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"If there was disease present we wouldn't be having this conversation, he would've died years ago. But he's fit and healthy."

MacDonald says it is a "senseless destruction of an innocent animal".

"They have a choice here. They don't have to kill him; they could at least test him first.

"It's a really upsetting situation. I don't want Geronimo's last moments to be of being caught by a man who will put a gun to his head before he's shot, but then I don't want to consent to having him euthanised. That's no choice at all.

The farmer says the government is putting her "through hell".

"Asking me to do that to a healthy animal as a vet who has been saving lives for 30 years is the worst thing they can do to my mental health. They are putting me through hell," she told the TV station.

"I feel frustrated, angry and deceived. There is a complete lack of transparency."

The movement to save Geronimo has grown online, with more than 80,000 people asking Boris Johnson to save the alpaca's life.

Public support for Geronimo's life includes personalities such as Wildlife TV presenter Chris Packham and actress Joanna Lumley.

A petition to save Geronimo has gathered more than 86,000 signatures so far. Across social media, people continue to fight for the Kiwi alpaca's life.

Boris Johnson has responded to pleads via a spokesperson.

"We know how distressing losing animals to TB is for farmers and our sympathies are with Ms Macdonald and everyone with animals affected by this terrible disease," Johnson's spokesperson said.

"The Environment Secretary has looked at this case very carefully, multiple times over the last few years, and has interrogated all the evidence with expert vets alongside the Animal and Plant Health Agency.

"But, sadly, Geronimo has tested positive twice for TB using highly specific, reliable and validated tests."

According to the spokesperson, the UK Government will "continue to do everything that we can" to eradicate bovine TB.

"The test used on Geronimo is highly specific, it is validated, it is reliable and the risk of a false positive is extremely low," the spokesperson added.

"A retest after two consecutive positive test results wouldn't invalidate the previous tests. So, there's no plans for any further tests.'

"We have done these highly accurate tests and we've no plans to change that."

Eustice has also spoken publicly about the matter this week, reaffirming his stance to uphold the High Court judge's decision.

Defra has revealed that the tests have never been trialled for their accuracy in detecting bTB in alpacas but stands by its methods.

It also admitted Geronimo tested negative for bTB four times in New Zealand, before being moved to the UK.

"We are sympathetic to Ms Macdonald's situation - just as we are with everyone with animals affected by this terrible disease," a Defra spokesperson said.

"It is for this reason that the testing results and options for Geronimo have been very carefully considered by Defra, the Animal and Plant Health Agency and its veterinary experts, as well as passing several stages of thorough legal scrutiny.

"Bovine TB causes devastation and distress for farmers and rural communities and that is why we need to do everything we can to reduce the risk of the disease spreading."

The court order to kill Geronimo came into effect on Thursday and Defra now has 30 days to visit Macdonald's farm in south Gloucestershire and put him down.

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New Zealand alpaca Geronimo set to die in UK after Boris Johnson refuses pleas to save it - New Zealand Herald