A farmer who owns a prized alpaca has vowed to stand in the way of anyone who comes to destroy the animal after it tested positive for TB.
Helen Macdonald made the pledge after a high court judge ruled dismissed her appeal and agreed her alpaca needs be euthanised.
Geronimo, an eight-year-old alpaca, from New Zealand came into the UK in 2017 from a TB-free herd with excellent health status.
However, Geronimo failed two subsequent Enferplex blood surveillance tests which are promoted by the camelid industry and the animal has been isolation ever since.
Owner and farmer Ms Macdonald has always insisted that the tests were false positive because of multiple priming of tuberculin.
Defra has refuted her claims and insisted the Enferplex test is highly specific so the chances of a false positive result just 0.34 per cent
A second warrant to execute the alpaca came into effect last week and Defra can now legally enter Ms Macdonald’s farm to put down the alpaca.
LSL News.