Saturday 14 August 2021

Geronimo - It's Friday 13th

Friday the 13th struck yesterday. We were going to have a trip in the motorhome to Brecon and wing it, hoping we could park in a pub carpark for the night; however, we didn't even get as far as the Severn crossing, as the skylight over the bed above the cab blew off on the M4. Had to turn back and abort the journey, but given it rained in Brecon last night and it's raining there today, it was just as well, as it wouldn't have been a nice stay anyway..

I ordered a new skylight from eBay and I hope it arrives early in the week, as we're off to the Peak District for a couple of days next weekend. Some hope - the 9 speed freewheel I ordered for the 2nd e-bike on Monday was posted only yesterday. 

Geronimo the alpaca was tested for bovine TB four years ago and had two positives, yet he hasn't died from TB or exhibited symptoms. That, surely, is evidence that something was amiss with the tests, which are not 100% certain.


Geronimo lives some 6 miles from us in Wickwar, hence the local interest in him. There is a number of alpaca herds in our immediate area - I'm aware of at least three.

Rather than sticking to dogma, why can't DEFRA simply give him a new test? A bovine TB test costs £14 plus VAT, so it's not expensive. Is DEFRA perhaps afraid of being exposed as dogmatic and that some of their processes and procedures may show up as questionable?

Even the link between badgers and bovine TB is an unproven hypothesis and it's doubtful culling has any effect and could possibly make matters worse.

I simply can't understand DEFRA's decision, nor Keir Starmer's support for it when a simple, £14 test will resolve the issue.


No comments: