GERONIMO the alpaca has been culled by Government vets carrying out a court-ordered warrant – despite pleas from his doting owner.
The animal was rounded up on Tuesday morning as other alpacas watched on from a nearby field, before being loaded into a trailer, which then left the farm near Wickwar, South Gloucestershire.
Defra said Geronimo was euthanised by staff from the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) in order to control the spread of bovine tuberculosis.
Live cam footage showed the alpaca being dragged away by men in hazmat suits while it struggled to break free – with the group nicknamed "Defra hitmen".
Read our Geronimo live blog below for the latest updates…
- Joseph Gamp
STATEMENT FROM AVON AND SOMERSET POLICE
A spokesperson for Avon and Somerset Police said: “We can confirm officers are in attendance at a farm in the Wickwar area of South Gloucestershire this morning to support the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), who are executing a court warrant.
“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.”
- Joseph Gamp
GERONIMO'S HEARTBROKEN OWNER SAYS SHE IS DISGUSTED WITH THE GOVERNMENT
She added that she is "absolutely disgusted" with the Government, which she said had used a "falsified test that has no validity" on the alpaca.
"This morning, Geronimo has been manhandled out of my farm," Ms Macdonald said.
Asked how force was used, she replied: "You'll have to ask the poor witnesses that witnessed him being rounded up and dragged into a horsebox.
"These are barbaric actions of unscientific, abusive people in Government."
- Joseph Gamp
STATEMENT FROM GERONIMO THE ALPACA'S OWNER
"I am absolutely devastated to report that Defra have taken Geronimo away by force this morning," Helen MacDonald said.
"They have refused to inform me where they are taking him. As far as I understand, Geronimo is still alive, all alone in a trailer heading somewhere, absolutely terrified, taken from his herd where he has lived for four years.
"Over the last two weeks, we have tried to engage constructively and persistently with George Eustace, Lord Benyon, George Eustace's special advisers, senior Defra civil servants and multiple MPs and government scientists, proposing a different way forward that would enable the Government to address their stated priorities in tackling bovine tuberculosis and also save Geronimo's life.
"The Government have refused to engage in good faith. We now know they have been stringing us along for the last week, fobbing us off by saying that people were on holiday and would get back to us this week.
"Now we know that they not only ignoring our consistent pleas for constructive dialogue, but had no intention of engaging with us. In fact, all the time, they were simply planning to murder Geronimo. This is yet another appalling demonstration of bad faith and duplicity by the Secretary of State and everyone at Defra."
- Joseph Gamp
PROTESTERS AND POLICE FACE-OFF AS GERONIMO IS LED AWAY TO BE DESTROYED
The nation's most famous alpaca was executed after authorities stormed a Gloucestershire farm.
His death ends a sad saga that has gripped the nation throughout the summer.
At least 15 cops in a riot van arrived at the farm in Wickwar at 10.45am.
DEFRA vets aided by the police take Geronimo the alpaca away at Shepherds Close Farm near Wooton-Under-Edge in GloucestershireCredit: ANDREW LLOYD - Joseph Gamp
TEARFUL HELEN MACDONALD SAYS SHE RAN AWAY AS SHE ‘WOULD HAVE BEEN ARRESTED FOR OBSTRUCTION’
Tearful farmer Helen Macdonald, 50, said she ran as officials arrived.
And she vowed to continue her fight – minutes before learning the animal had been put to sleep.
“I fled. If I had stayed there they would have arrested me for obstruction,” she said.
“That would have played into their hands because I wouldn’t have been able to keep fighting for him.
“They took him alive – we’ve been totally duped. It’s an outrage.
“We don’t know where they’ve taken him but there are still a few hours to try to save his life. We have got to get this stopped.”
- Joseph Gamp
DOWNING STREET EXPRESSES SYMPATHY FOR GERONIMO’S LOVING OWNER
Downing Street has expressed sympathy for Helen Macdonald after her alpaca Geronimo was killed following it twice testing positive for bovine tuberculosis.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “It’s obviously highly distressing for someone to lose animals to TB and that’s a situation that farmers sadly have to face.
“Our sympathies are with Ms Macdonald and any others that are affected by this terrible disease.”
- Joseph Gamp
'EVERY MOMENT I GET WITH HIM IS SPECIAL AND COULD BE THE LAST'
Less than a fortnight ago, she said she was hand-feeding the sweet creature its favourite foods.
"Every moment I get with him is special as it could be the last," she said.
"I’ve been hand-feeding him as it’s a bit more personal."
Cops said they were supporting the execution of a court warrant, adding: "Our role is to prevent a breach of the peace."
- Joseph Gamp
HELEN MACDONALD SAID TESTS USED TO DIAGNOSE TB 'ARE UNRELIABLE'
She said tests used to diagnose TB are unreliable.
“If Geronimo did have TB he should have been dead by now," she said.
"Alpacas with TB only last a few months, but it’s been more than four years since he allegedly tested positive.
- Joseph Gamp
HELEN BATTLED DEFRA FOR 4 YEARS AND IS NOW DROWNING IN £50,000 OF LEGAL FEES
Vet Helen has been fighting Defra for four years and is now drowning in £50,000 legal fees.
Earlier this month, she told The Sun: “I can’t stand by and let my animal be killed and I’m willing to stand in the way of any gunman who comes to destroy Geronimo.
“They’ve picked on the wrong woman. There is no way that I will put him to sleep.”
- Joseph Gamp
'I'LL TAKE A BULLET'
Almost 150,000 Brits had signed an online petition to save Geronimo's life after Helen insisted the positive tests were faulty.
Actor Joanna Lumley and TV wildlife presenter Chris Packham were among those pleading with ministers to save Geronimo.
But the creature's story has ended in tragedy today after a High Court judge ruled it was a danger to other animals.
- Joseph Gamp
HELEN MACDONALD SAID SHE WOULD HAVE MADE 'ULTIMATE SACRIFICE' AND TAKE A BULLET FOR GERONIMO
Helen had said she was prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice and step in the way of any gunman told to kill her beloved alpaca.
Supporters claim she sent a text earlier today reading: "They took him alive, get after Defra."
Boris Johnson's spokesperson told reporters losing animals to TB is "highly distressing" – and added: "Our sympathies are with Ms Macdonald and any others that are affected by this terrible disease."
- Joseph Gamp
GERONIMO SUPPORTER BRIEFLY ARRESTED AFTER SPRAYING POLICE WITH WATER PISTOL
Liz Stacey was briefly arrested after spraying officers with a water pistol, but was quickly de-arrested.
She told Sky News: "The police arrived in force. It was a totally disproportionate… they were determined to carry out that this heinous crime, you know, there was no way that Geronimo had TB.
"For four years [he's been a] healthy, happy animal on this farm. And it was just disgusting."
- Joseph Gamp
STATEMENT FROM AVON AND SOMERSET POLICE
A spokesperson for Avon and Somerset Police said: “We can confirm officers are in attendance at a farm in the Wickwar area of South Gloucestershire this morning to support the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), who are executing a court warrant.
“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.”
- Joseph Gamp
HELEN MACDONALD TWEETED BORIS JOHNSON AS 'DEFRA HITMEN' CAME TO CULL GERONIMO
While officers were there Ms MacDonald tweeted further pleas to save the animal.
She posted: "DEFRA have arrived! We are asking once again for an urgent meeting with George Eustice. Please don't execute Geronimo".
In another, she desperately pleaded: "@BorisJohnson STOP THIS NOW GERONIMO IS HEALTHY."
- Joseph Gamp
TEARFUL HELEN MACDONALD SAYS SHE RAN AWAY AS SHE 'WOULD HAVE BEEN ARRESTED FOR OBSTRUCTION'
Tearful farmer Helen Macdonald, 50, said she ran as officials arrived.
And she vowed to continue her fight – minutes before learning the animal had been put to sleep.
“I fled. If I had stayed there they would have arrested me for obstruction," she said.
“That would have played into their hands because I wouldn’t have been able to keep fighting for him.
“They took him alive – we’ve been totally duped. It’s an outrage.
“We don’t know where they’ve taken him but there are still a few hours to try to save his life. We have got to get this stopped.”
- Joseph Gamp
GERONIMO BRIEFLY ESCAPED – BUT WAS ROUNDED UP WITHIN 20 MINUTES
While Geronimo did briefly make a break for it, running into a field filled with other creatures, he was rounded up and harnessed within 20 minutes.
- Joseph Gamp
GEROMINO'S 'DESTRUCTION WARRANT' WAS VALID UNTIL SEPTEMBER 4
The destruction warrant was valid until September 4. Campaigners wanted the animal to be tested for a third time or let it live to aid research into the disease.
A group calling themselves the 'alpaca angels' had vowed to thwart executioners by using decoy alpacas to confuse them.
- Joseph Gamp
PROTESTERS HELD STAND OFF WITH POLICE AT GATES
There was a stand-off with protesters at the gate.
One woman is understood to have been arrested – and then quickly de-arrested – after shooting a supersoaker water gun at a Defra hitman.
A man with a long white beard was also seen grappling with police.
- Joseph Gamp
CHIEF VETINARY OFFICER DESCRIBES GERONIMO DEATH AS A 'TERRIBLY SAD SITUATION'
Chief Veterinary Officer Christine Middlemiss said: "This is a terribly sad situation and our sympathies remain with all those affected by this devastating disease.
"No one wants to have to cull infected animals if it can be avoided, but we need to follow the scientific evidence and cull animals that have tested positive for bTB to minimise spread of this insidious disease and ultimately eradicate the biggest threat to animal health in this country.
"Not only is this essential to protect the livelihoods of our farming industry and rural communities, but it is also necessary to avoid more TB cases in humans."
- Joseph Gamp
HOW MANY POLICE RAIDED THE FARM THAT GERONIMO LIVED ON?
At least 15 cops in a riot van arrived at the farm in Wickwar at 10.45am.
Some of the uniformed PCs were seen speaking to three people dressed in blue overalls, masks and goggles. All three had bodyworn video on.
- Joseph Gamp
STATEMENT ON DEFRA WEBSITE CONFIRMS GERONIMO HAS BEEN EUTHANISED
A statement on the Government website read: "A court warrant has been used today (Tuesday 31 August) to enter premises for the purposes of removing the bTB-positive alpaca known as ‘Geronimo’.
"The infected animal was moved from the premises and euthanised by staff from the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) as a necessary measure to control the spread of bovine tuberculosis (bTB).
"bTB is an infectious disease of cattle and other mammals. It is one of the most significant animal health challenges that England faces today, leaving behind devastating impacts on our farming and rural communities and costing taxpayers more than £100 million each year.
"In 2020 alone, more than 27,000 cattle had to be slaughtered to curb its spread."
- Joseph Gamp
GERONIMO EVEN HAD HIS OWN MERCHANDISE RANGE
Alpaca Geronimo had his own merchandise including T-shirts and bags with his face on.
An online store is selling goods with the slogan Save Geronimo.
His owner Helen MacDonald, 50, announced the launch on his Facebook page last week
All proceeds went towards a campaign to save him from being destroyed after positive bovine TB tests.
- Joseph Gamp
HOW MANY PEOPLE SUPPORTED THE PLIGHT OF GERONIMO?
Veterinary nurse Helen MacDonald, who farms alpacas at her home in Wickwar, South Gloucestershire, has received support from around the world – with more than 140,000 people signing a petition against Geronimo's destruction.
Earlier this month, a High Court judge refused her lawyer's application for a temporary injunction to stop the destruction order and reopen the case.
Ms Macdonald said that when Defra officials do attend her farm to euthanise Geronimo, she will not break the law.
Supporters have also been camping out at her farm in case officials arrive to destroy him.
They have been receiving regular deliveries of supplies from well-wishers, including tea bags, coffee, sugar, and vegan food.
- Joseph Gamp
STATEMENT FROM AVON AND SOMERSET POLICE
A spokesperson for Avon and Somerset Police said: "We can confirm officers are in attendance at a farm in the Wickwar area of South Gloucestershire this morning to support the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), who are executing a court warrant.
"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."
- Joseph Gamp
LIVE BROADCAST SHOWED POLICE ENTERING GERONIMO'S PEN
Police have entered Geronimo's pen at the farm in Wickwar, Gloucestershire, with their actions broadcast on an online live feed of the enclosure.
Other alpacas on the farm, which are not in the same pen, gathered nearby when the commotion started before running off to another part of the farm.
Officers are currently standing in a line at the edge of the pen while several journalists are also present.
Two officers wearing light-blue vests appear to be engaging with members of the public next to a We Are Geronimo banner, set up by campaigners opposing the destruction of the animal.
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