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Save Geronimo - BBC News


This week I joined the media scrum at a remote Alpaca farm in South Gloucestershire to film Geronimo the Alpaca with TB.


He was brought to England from New Zealand in August 2017 by owner Helen Macdonald, who has been breeding alpacas at the farm for more than 15 years. He has been kept in quarantine since his arrival. He is at the centre of a disagreement between the Government's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and Ms Macdonald over the issue of whether he is infected with bovine tuberculosis (bTB).


He has twice tested positive for the fatal disease which results in the slaughter of thousands of cattle every year to prevent its spread.


As a result, Defra has ordered for the animal to be euthanised and Environment Secretary George Eustice - a former farmer - said while he knew it was "soul-destroying" having to put animals down, it was necessary. [BBC News}


I shot and edited the package below for the 6:30 bulletin on BBC Points West and then worked with the sat truck to broadcast a live top and tail with journalist Sally Challoner.


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