Geronimo is from New Zealand and has been in the UK since August 2017. There, the animal has repeatedly tested positive for a form of tuberculosis. Owner Helen MacDonald questioned the reliability of those tests and fought an unsuccessful legal battle to save Jeronimo.
MacDonald wasn’t alone in her desire to save the alpacas from euthanasia. A petition to save an animal’s life has garnered nearly 150,000 signatures. Prominent Britons such as TV presenter Chris Packham and father of Prime Minister Boris Johnson are also backing the Jeronimo rescue campaign, according to the BBC.
Pro-Kironimo protesters marched through Government Center in London in early August to demand that the alpacas be saved. The media also pays a lot of attention to the fate of the animal. However, the authorities were not relentless. According to the responsible government service Defra, the test performed on the animal is very reliable.
Demonstrators saw a baby llama being carried into a McDonald’s farm car surrounded by police and led away. Signs with inscriptions such as “We are Geronimo” were left at the alpaca’s residence.
