Geronimo gets a 24-hour reprieve: Death row alpaca is granted an extra day to live just hours before he was set to be executed
- Geronimo the alpaca has been granted a 24-hour reprieve by the High Court
- Department of Food, Environment and Rural Affairs ordered alpaca's execution
- A temporary injunction to halt the order was considered by Mrs Justice Stacey
Geronimo the alpaca has been granted a 24-hour reprieve by an emergency High Court hearing - just hours before he was set to be executed.
The Department of Food, Environment and Rural Affairs (Defra) had ordered that the eight-year-old animal be euthanised after he tested positive twice for bovine tuberculosis (TB).
But a temporary injunction to halt the enforcement of the order was considered by Mrs Justice Stacey today after the alpaca's owner Helen Macdonald, 50, made a last-ditch legal application to delay the animal's destruction.
The judge said she would need further information from Ms Macdonald and from Government lawyers before she could make her decision and would resume the hearing on Wednesday afternoon.
Ms MacDonald, who owns a farm in Wickwar, Gloucestershire, said she was thrilled when her legal team told that the review application to the High Court had been accepted.
Geronimo the alpaca, who was set to be executed, has been granted a 24-hour reprieve by the High Court
The alpaca's owner Helen Macdonald (pictured with Geronimo), 50, made a last-ditch legal application to delay the animal's execution
But she warned Geronimo's supporters that the battle had not been won as Defra had only agreed to extend his stay of execution until 5pm today.
She said if they refuse to change their mind, her legal team will have no option but to pursue an injunction so they could not kill Geronimo before the High Court rules on the latest hearing.
Ms Macdonald, who imported the alpaca from New Zealand in 2017, said she had not been given a timeframe but warned her last judicial review in the same court took four months to be heard.
She said: 'We heard from court late yesterday that they had accepted our judicial review so are now just waiting for a date.
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'But Defra confirmed that as far as executing the warrant they wouldn't do anything until 5pm today.
'We are now trying to get that time extended by Defra or will have to go back to the High Court and ask them to look at an injunction.
'We just have to keep him safe before the hearing but we don't know when that will be. It depends on Defra how we achieve that.
'They can either be responsible and announce they will not take action before the hearing or we will have to take steps today to ensure Geronimo stays safe.
'I honestly don't know how long it will take. The last time we had a judicial review it took four months before it was heard. We hope it will not be that long this time but it is up to the court.'
In a message to Geronimo's supporters, Ms Macdonald, who has always disputed the accuracy of the alpaca's test results, said the battle may have been won but the fight was far from over.
The alpaca has been kept in isolation at Ms Macdonald's farm since he was imported from New Zealand in 2017
Ms Macdonald claims the Enferplex blood tests the animal was given were flawed but has refused permission to have him tested a third time
She added: 'If Defra try and do something before the case is heard that would be the most despicable thing ever. They know the science is not there and we just want some reasonable behaviour.
'We want some grown up conversations and there are options on the table for them. This is just another step in clearing Geronimo's name.
'We have always invited Defra to the table but they are hiding behind a wall and hoping this will go away and he will die.
'We are just dealing with things day to day so at least I was able to sleep last night. This is all moving at such a fast pace now you can sense things are happening.
'But we are not done, no-where near yet. Defra are still not accepting the facts and so we will keep doing what we can and use every tool in the book to stop them.
'The High Court ruling yesterday was good news - but I would just say to our supporters that the fight is not over. People power is helping so much and this has really helped keep us going no doubt.
'We have to have faith in the judicial system. At some point they have to accept the evidence that was provided was inaccurate and say it is wrong. The whole thing is a mess but with people power and getting justice in the conventional way I hope we can get through it.'
The judicial review was sought on the basis of 'non disclosure' of information by Defra to Ms Macdonald's legal team around previous 'healthy' animals that had been put down but later showed no trace of bovine TB.
Geronimo has been kept in isolation at veterinary nurse Ms Macdonald's farm since he was imported from New Zealand in 2017.
Ms Macdonald claims the Enferplex blood tests he was given were flawed because Defra insisted he was injected with a protein called tuberculin to make him more sensitive.
Critics say this prompts an immune response, causing a false positive test for bovine TB, but Government vets have rejected the claim.
The alpaca's plight has won the support of celebrities including Joanna Lumley and BBC Springwatch presenter Chris Packham.
The Save Geronimo petition now has more than 130,000 signatories and several MPs have raised questions in the Commons about the culling of healthy alpacas.
