Geronimo to be killed ‘in days’

ALPACA Geronimo lost his legal fight to avoid being put to death yesterday after Farming Minister George Eustice rejected a final plea to save him. He told owner Helen Macdonald – p i ctured with Geronimo – to put the five-year- old down by the end of the month or a court order would be sought to have him slaughtered. Miss Macdonald, 47, who has 75 alpacas at her farm in Gloucestershire, has fought a yearlong legal battle to save him. The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs says he has TB that could be passed to animals or humans. But she believes there were flaws in the two TB tests the champion alpaca failed after he was imported from New Zealand last year.

The veterinary nurse had written to Mr Eustice to ask for a third test, but he has now refused, telling her: ‘The evidence that he is infected is substantial.’ More than 8,000 people have signed a petition calling for Geronimo to be spared.