The emotions around Geronimo boiled up in England until the very end. Now animal rights activists are left behind – the animal had to die. There is a serious problem behind this.
Wickwar / London – Even a last-minute escape attempt was unsuccessful: after a long argument, the alpaca Geronimo was killed in England.
The animal was euthanized to prevent the spread of the deadly and contagious bovine tuberculosis, said the Department of Agriculture in London on Tuesday. “Nobody wants to have to kill infected animals if it can be avoided,” said Christine Middlemiss, the agency’s chief veterinarian. But there was no alternative. Geronimo’s owner sees it differently. Helen Macdonald asked for another and – according to her statements – more precise test until the end.
The Geronimo case had caused a stir in Great Britain for weeks and even kept Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s family in suspense. Father Stanley Johnson campaigned publicly for the little camel, and the hopes of Geronimo’s supporters rested on Johnson’s wife Carrie, a committed animal rights activist. Almost 150,000 people signed a petition calling for the alpaca to be saved. There was a demonstration in London, and a self-appointed citizen militia kept vigil in the courtyard in the western English village of Wickwar.
“Implementation of a death sentence”
But ultimately in vain. Geronimo was put to sleep on Tuesday. The tabloid “Sun” spoke of the implementation of a “death sentence”. Owner Macdonald accused the authorities of having “murdered” a healthy animal. She believes that the tests used showed a false positive result and requested a blood test that was much more accurate.
This was preceded by dramatic scenes on their farm. In the morning, employees of the Ministry of Agriculture arrived in protective clothing – with police escort. Macdonald had originally announced martially that he would throw a ball in the way for Geronimo himself. Now it went off more lightly. A woman shot an officer at close range with a water pistol and was temporarily arrested. Otherwise, there were loud insults and abuse. For a short time Geronimo managed to escape his captors. But eventually the animal was caught and maneuvered into a trailer. Macdonald sharply criticized the way Geronimo was dealt with. “This is not animal welfare, this is cruelty to animals,” she said.
A few hours later, the ministry announced completion. “The infected animal was removed from the farm and euthanized by employees of the animal and phytosanitary authority as a necessary measure to combat the spread of bovine tuberculosis,” said the authority. A judgment was implemented on time: a court had given the ministry until September 4th to put Geronimo to sleep.
Threat to animal health across the country
“We have to stick to the scientific evidence and cull animals that have tested positive for bovine tuberculosis,” said senior veterinarian Middlemiss. Ultimately, the important goal is to “eradicate the greatest threat to animal health in this country”. Indeed, farmers in the UK are severely affected by the disease. In 2020 alone, more than 27,000 infected cattle had to be killed. The impact on farmers and villages is enormous, the cost to taxpayers is more than 100 million pounds a year, according to the Department of Agriculture.
“Our condolences go to Ms. Macdonald and everyone else affected by this terrible disease,” said a government spokesman in London. The government is doing all it can to get the epidemic under control. For years, badgers have been allowed to cull at certain times and in designated areas, as they can also transmit the disease – this, too, repeatedly provokes loud protests.
The practice is slated to expire by 2022, despite protests from farmers. However, alternatives are not yet ready to be decided. dpa
