Geronimo, an alpaca at the center of a legal row that has pitted animal activists in the U.K. against the state, has been euthanized by veterinarians after twice testing positive for bovine tuberculosis (bTB).

Government veterinary staff in blue overalls, masks and goggles, backed by police officers, arrived at the western England farm where the animal lives and took Geronimo from his pen. The scene was witnessed by animal activists and journalists who have camped out at the farm in Wickwar, 110 miles (175 kilometers) west of London, vowing to stop the killing.

The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs confirmed the animal had been euthanized.

The controversial camelid was sentenced to death after twice testing positive for bTB. His owner, Helen Macdonald, argued the tests had produced false positives and battled for a third test.

Several veterinarians backed her cause, but earlier this month a High Court judge rejected Macdonald’s request for a temporary injunction to stop the killing order and reopen the case.

Bovine TB can devastate cattle herds and hurt farm revenues. Britain has been culling animals – chiefly badgers – to stop its spread for a decade, but the practice remains contentious.

The government said that 27,000 cattle were slaughtered in 2020 to curb the spread of the disease.

"This is a terribly sad situation and our sympathies remain with all those affected by this devastating disease," said U.K. Chief Veterinary Officer Christine Middlemiss.

"No one wants to have to cull infected animals if it can be avoided. But we need to follow the scientific evidence and cull animals that have tested positive for bTB to minimize spread of this insidious disease and ultimately eradicate the biggest threat to animal health in this country," she said.