Infected Temple Bull Killed

[Guest guest]

Shambo's lesions 'typical of TB'

BBC News, July 27th, 2007

 

Shambo, the " sacred " bullock at the centre of a controversial

three-month legal fight had lesions typical of TB, it has been

confirmed.

The Welsh Assembly Government has said the result of a post

mortem examination on Shambo meant " a positive TB

breakdown is confirmed in the herd " .

 

It is now considering what is needed " to protect human and

animal health " .

 

The animal was slaughtered after being removed from a multi-

faith community in Carmarthenshire [Wales] on Thursday

evening.

 

It is thought there are around 50 other cattle at Skanda Vale in

Llanpumsaint.

 

In a statement on Friday, the assembly government said it was

now considering what other action was necessary " to protect

human and animal health in relation to the test results from

other animals in the herd " .

 

" Further samples have been taken for further laboratory

investigations, including bacteriological culture - these results

will not be available for several weeks, " continued the

statement.

 

 

Protesters were moved by police officers from Shambo's

enclosure

 

A Skanda Vale spokesman said they would wait for the results

of culture tests before commenting on the results.

 

However, he said the monks' basic argument in opposition to

the bullock's slaughter - that all life is sacred - still stood and

would continue to do so regardless of the results of the post-

mortem and any further tests.

 

With regard to the rest of the herd, the spokesman said that

during the annual test which occurred in June, three cattle came

back inconclusive.

 

These would be re-tested 60 days after the date of the original

test, he added.

 

But a farmers' union said that other animals could have been

put at risk because of the time it took for the issue to be

resolved.

 

Brian Walters from the Farmers' Union of Wales (FUW) said

the time the process took had endangered other animals at

Skanda Vale and beyond.

 

Mr Walters added that the post mortem result justified the

pressure that was put on the community to slaughter the

bullock.

 

The six-year-old Friesian, who tested positive for bovine TB in

April, prompted a legal battle which ended in the appeal court

on Monday.

 

 

Shambo was loaded into a trailer

 

A judge had given the community hope when he ruled that two

slaughter orders for Shambo " were unlawful and will be

quashed " .

 

But his ruling was overturned.

 

Shambo was eventually removed from Skanda Vale on

Thursday evening after 100 protesters formed a human shield

around the bullock.

 

It was destroyed later that night.

 

Hindu leaders said they seeking a meeting with the UK

Environment Minister asking for reassurances about other

temple animals.

 

Ramesh Kallidai, secretary general of the Hindu Forum of

Britain, said he wanted " to check how agricultural law can

cater to the needs of sacred animals in Hindu temples in

Britain " .

 

And Skanda Vale community leader Brother Alex said that,

now Shambo had been taken away from them, a " nightmare "

was just beginning for the Welsh assembly.

 

" Ignorant people have chosen to desecrate our temple and have

chosen to destroy life unnecessarily, " he said.

 

The National Secular Society said it was glad " common sense

had prevailed at last " and that it was " absolutely unacceptable "

for people to say their religious rights were supreme.

 

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/6918618.stm

 

More:

http://www.skandavale.org/shambo.htm

 

 

, " durgangam " <durgangam

wrote:

>

> A Welsh Hindu group has launched a last-ditch legal bid to stave

off

> the slaughter of their sacred bull, which has tested positive for

> bovine tuberculosis.