Has there been a thread about Geronimo?

I read recently that several veterinary surgeons are saying that Geronimo should ‘be studied’ instead of being euthanised, but couldn’t find any more detail on what sort of study, how long for or whatever.

This lady is keeping the alpaca well away from the rest of them and has warning signs outside so she can’t be that sure it doesn’t have it, very sad for it to be on it’s own anyway when they are herd animals.
I am a big animal lover but my dad had TB when I was 4, had my BCG then along with my brothers so as not to catch it. Dad was in and out of hospital with new drugs being tried on him and when he was in hospital only mum was allowed to go in and see him, I saw him once but that was looking through a closed window so the thought this alpaca could pass TB on to humans as well as other animals makes my blood run cold.
Not many people get the BCG now, only if you are in certain groups, was surprised by this when a letter came from school telling me why my children weren’t going to be getting it.

Dinahmo

I read somewhere that an autopsy was performed on the alpaca that was put down 4 years ago and there was no sign of tb.

Yes, I read that two previous Alpacas that had tested positive for TB then went on to have an autopsy. Both had no evidence of the disease. This is Geronimo’s owners concern.

The world is going to hell in a hand cart yet the media are still banging on about an alpaca its shameful

Thank you sewaris, it's nice to have more understanding of the context.

From what I've read the problem is the test is specific for cattle. For it to work on alpacas they need to be primed to see if they show antibodies for bTB. However, there have been nine cases in the past where the animals were tested and culled only to be found they didn't have bTB - 9 of them. The owner is saying the test is not safe and from what I read yesterday scientists vets from DEFRA are agreeing with that and recommending the cull order is cancelled.

It is a bit of a silly season thing.

All this fuss for an Alpacca. Where is the outcry for cattle and sheep led to the slaughterhouse, terrified and killed for us to eat. The pigs who are intelligent beings seeing their friends having their throats cut so we can have a bacon butty.
The male chicks who are branded useless and sent to the macerator to be cut up whilst alive. When a cow gives birth the male calves are killed for veal, the females taken from their mothers so we can drink the milk that was meant for her baby
Where is the outcry for these poor souls.

I think I've heard of alpaca racing omg!!! :o

I'm not sure if alpacas spit although I know they can run fast - my friend had a couple who eluded her when it was shearing time.

TB is difficult to treat in humans - months and drug changes needed. Cows are not treated or vaccinated. The vaccine would generate antibodies which would indicate TB infection in subsequent tests. So no vaccinations and all positive tests are culled to prevent trsansmission to humans e. g. via milk.

There is a new trial vaccine though, which would not interfere with tests for infection and that is being trialed in cattle now. I just wonder why that isn't being trialed on Geronimo. Does anyone know?

I wonder if he is a spitter though or is it just llamas that spit?
Obviously I know all the badgers are working for marks and spencers filling the employment gap in the packing department

Sparklefizz

^Sometimes we take refuge in concentrating on the 'smaller' stories, because we cannot cope with the horror of those larger dreadful stories.^

Very true.

Very true

Most of us have the capacity to think about more than one issue, even in the same minute.

If I see the alpaca story briefly on the news I may think about it but it doesn't stop me from worrying about Afghanistan, Syria, Covid, etc, of personal problems; thinking of what to have for dinner does not stop me feeling sad and angry for those children waiting outside Kabul airport for days without food or water, or thinking about happy things that are happening too.

Do some people just think of one thing to the exclusion of all else? Surely no-one is that blinkered?

Don’t know why they can’t test the poor animal as the owner is asking. Apparently if it did have TB 4 years ago, it would be dead by now!

Sometimes we take refuge in concentrating on the 'smaller' stories, because we cannot cope with the horror of those larger dreadful stories.

Very true.

i think all the fuss is the fact that it is a pet to her, how would most of you feel if it was you dog or cat, vets are now saying that geronimo should be studied and not killed, those vets are saying the diagnosis was unsafe.

He is an alpaca usuallyright. story here he has a cute face and an elegant neck

Can someone please tell me who or what is Geronimo other than an American Indian?

Yes, if it was vaccinated recently it may be a false positive. We took a dog to Sweden about 25 years ago where they tested him positive for leptospirosis and I explained he'd been vaccinated against it for the past 13 years. They agreed it was false positive and let him enter the country, it was the vets decision.

This animal cost the owner many thousands of pounds because it is pure black and she wanted to breed from it. I believe that if it was just a ‘run of the mill, ordinary colour’ she wouldn’t’t be fighting the decision so adamantly. It’s all about money. Farmers lose whole herds because of one infected animal, but they, sadly, have to put up with it. Let’s face it, we don’t want TB in our food chain.

Surely the alpaca story raises the whole question of culling as a 'solution', something which humans seem quite happy to do to other species.
Sometimes we take refuge in concentrating on the 'smaller' stories, because we cannot cope with the horror of those larger dreadful stories.

My Aunt suffered a long illness and died after contracting TB in the 60s. TB needs to be eradicated, the animal should b culled. It isn’t just cattle that are protected by removing any possible sources of infection.

Yes, the world is going to hell in a handcart. Hence the need for a summer story to take our minds off the perpetual doom and gloom. A beautiful animal which his owner is trying to protect because she believes the test results are flawed … and this is England. Don’t we put our animals first? When this alpaca story reaches its inevitable conclusion, Afghanistan and it’s horrors will still be there, so will the pandemic and so sadly, will Brexit.

As a farmer's wife I'm furious that this alpaca wasn't culled 4years ago our cattle would have been if they were positive

It is sad nightowl, and I am an animal lover. We’ve had rescue cats in the past, and I was terribly upset when two of had to be put to sleep due to illnesses. It must be harder when the animal appears healthy and you can’t think to yourself that you’re at least helping them from having to suffer even more with the end result the same. In this particular case I think it’s more a case of the greater good. And it’s cruel to keep this animal alone as alpacas are herd animals.

He does have a sweet face....
Yes he does.
But you raise a good point Callistemon because that's part of the problem with us humans.
We tend to love and want to preserve those animals who appeal to us.
Try raising money or interest in spiders for example.