Sacred bull Shambo from Wales to be slaughtered

LONDON: A "sacred" bull at a temple in Wales that contracted bovine tuberculosis is to be slaughtered by authorities despite protests from Hindus, who established a
'MooTube' webcam so that the animal's supporters could follow his every move.
    
Shambo had tested positive in a routine bovine tuberculosis test at the Skandavale Temple in Llanpumsaint, Carmarthen, Wales in late April.
    
The Hindu Forum of Britain had called for Hindus to form a human chain around the temple, where the bull was placed in isolation, to prevent local authorities from killing it.
    
But the Welsh Assembly today said it had provisionally decided to give vets the go-ahead to slaughter Shambo in order to "protect animal and human health", Timesonline reported.
    
Priests at the temple insist there is no possibility of Shambo entering the human food chain and have isolated him from the rest of their herd of 55 cattle.
    
"I am acutely aware of the distress that this will cause not only to the community, but also to many in the wider Hindu community," said Jane Davidson, the assembly's Sustainability Minister.
    
"This is something that I regret deeply, but my view is that it is necessary that I take appropriate steps to protect animal and human health in this case."
    
She said the Skanda Vale community had until Friday to make final representations before the decision was rubber-stamped. A date for the slaughter is then expected to
be set.
    
Temple priests have warned that the stand-off over Shambo's fate could spark an international incident.