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Geronimo owner accuses government of 'wall of silence'

PA Media Helen Macdonald, GeronimoPA Media
Helen Macdonald’s animal was euthanised after twice testing positive for bovine tuberculosis (bTB)

The owner of Geronimo the alpaca has accused the government of erecting a "wall of silence" over her demand to know where, when and how he was culled.

Geronimo was taken from Helen Macdonald's farm in South Gloucestershire on August 31 and euthanised.

She said the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) had not supplied information of his last hours.

Defra said it had received her request and would respond in due course.

The animal was culled after twice testing positive for bovine TB and after Ms Macdonald lost a lengthy legal battle to halt the warrant.

Following his death, the government chief veterinary officer said a post-mortem examination showed "a number of TB-like lesions" had been found and further tests would be carried out.

But veterinary advisers to Ms Macdonald claim the initial findings show Geronimo did not have the disease.

SWNS GeronimoSWNS
Geronimo was taken by police officers and Defra staff from the farm in Wickwar, South Gloucestershire, at the end of July

Ms Macdonald said the government was continuing to make it as "distressing and as difficult as possible for everyone concerned".

"They are using every tactic they can to prevent any disclosure, and indeed any closure for myself and everyone who was campaigning to save Geronimo's life and improve bovine TB policy," she said.

"Defra know very well that the information they are refusing to provide will not support their claim that there was any suspicion of bovine TB in Geronimo.

"That is why they refuse to provide this information and hide behind their wall of silence."

In a statement, Defra said the UK chief vet had "made attempts to contact the owner" and government scientists were "willing to answer any questions" the owner had.

"We have received Ms Macdonald's request and will respond in due course," a spokesman said.

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Geronimo timeline

PA Media GeronimoPA Media
Ms Macdonald imported Geronimo from New Zealand in 2017
  • Geronimo is brought to England from New Zealand in August 2017 by his owner Helen Macdonald
  • The alpaca twice tests positive for bovine tuberculosis in August and November that year
  • He is put into isolation away from the rest of the herd at the farm in Wickwar
  • The government applies for a court order in July 2018 to have him destroyed
  • Geronimo is given a stay of execution, with a deadline of the end of August for his slaughter
  • Ms Macdonald seeks a judicial review claiming new evidence shows the animal is healthy, marking the start of a series of lengthy legal battles
  • In November, Ms Macdonald wins the right to a review at the High Court in London
  • A hearing gets under way in March 2019 and Ms Macdonald claims government experts relied on "flawed science"
  • The case is dismissed in July 2019
  • Ms Macdonald starts an appeal and an order is made preventing Geronimo's death pending the application
  • She takes out an emergency injunction to delay a warrant to cull the animal before an appeal hearing on 29 July 2021
  • The case is once again dismissed. A judge agrees to delay the start of a second execution warrant until 5 August, which is later extended to 4 September
  • Geronimo is euthanised on 31 August
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