Should we save Shambo?
Meet Shambo, the six-year-old Friesian bull, who is part of a herd kept by the Skandavale Temple in Llanpumsaint, Carmarthen, in south west Wales, and recently . The monks have kept their sacred bull away from other animals, but the government vets are adamant that it is impossible to guarantee bio-security since
There is still a potential risk for anyone who comes into contact with an animal that has tested positive for bovine TB that that person could possibly catch infection.
is now rallying in opposition to any scheduled slaughtering of the animal and thouands of people have signed an . Cows are considered sacred within the Hindu faith: they are not worshipped, they are protected and honoured. Nevertheless, thousands of cows are legally in India each year.
David Miliband, the Environment Secretary, has been quick to make it clear that in Shambo's case; it's a matter for the new Welsh Executive.
Can anyone think of a compromise that would save Shambo's life without compromising EU guidelines on bio-security?
Comments
I hate to say it, but it sounds like curtains for Shambo.
I'm afraid I can't get excited about saving a cow.
Can't we kill the cow and hope it gets reincarnated as something better?
SG
The farming community has been hit hard by the govt. It seems incongruous and unjust that an exception should be made in this case. Where's the commonsense and perspective? Its just an animal, for God's sake. We eat them. Humans come way before animals in priority.
How could they kill poor little Shambo. He has the right to life we should try to save him. Aelfwine's comments are selfish and pathetic.
Hi Mark
"They barely mentioned the threat Shambo is to human health and to the agricultural business of Britain."
There are thousands of animals with this disease in Britian not to mention all the wild animals with TB.
What exactly are the risks to human health and the animal population at large? We don't kill humans if they have TB? Is it not sensitive to make an allowance hear?
In many other countries in the world they dont cull animals with TB. In fact some people think that doing this in Britian wastes lots of tax £.
am
I do not know a lot about agricultural practice but I can't believe that an animal with TB is fit for human consumption or even pet food. The course of treatment for human TB is long taking from six months to a year and allowing TB to go untreated or mistreated not only creates the risk of the disease spreading to healthy animals but of strains resistant to any treatment arising. That has already happened with human TB and is a public health menace. As for "sensitivity" don't make me laugh, the animal should have been destroyed immediately.
farmers think just as much about there pedigree cows as they do of shambo but they still have to slaughter them.
"BULLMUCK" just leave animals alone!!
If it isn’t the swaggering farmers that are exploiting other beings for their own commercial ends it is religions that are forcing these unfortunate creatures to accept their unwanted adoration and worship. Whenever humans abuse animals by taking away their freedom, breeding them in great numbers and denying them their natural right to live in field and forest away from human contact then we ultimately bring upon them an early death, one which they definitely did not deserve, as is proved in the case of our dear friend Shambo.
If we British really do have respect, awe and indeed love for other animals then let everyone encourage the government pass a bill to the effect that cattle etc, should live wild and free in suitable areas that bring them minimal contact with humans, this right to live as nature intended should also help protect humans themselves from the present danger of contracting TB and conversely from passing it on to them, or have we not considered this yet?. TB has been around for many thousands of years and cattle survived it all, they will not though survive the ecological imbalance brought about by barbaric modern day farming practice that nurtures a fertile breeding ground for the proliferation of such disastrous diseases as TB and Foot & Mouth etc.
Earlier abuse of animals may have caused some to be living under a kind of present day sword of Damocles poised to punish us for consuming the products of misery (infected meat) and for bringing upon cattle the unnecessary and avoidable suffering caused by Mad Cow Disease, will we never learn?.
If we continue to show our support for the present animal husbandry practices farmers operate today painful diseases will almost certainly proliferate one after the other, and because of this we may ultimately suffer ourselves.
Please stop breeding animals like Shambo and those shown in the farms around into enforced captivity, stop exploiting them and definitely stop worshipping them.
Respect the natural rights of all beings.
Good Health both to Man and to Beast!
I am devastated at the death of shambo .Shambo was never in the food chain.This all about politics and farmers who always think they are right! Did they not listen to the well known vet who examined Shambo and said the risk of him passing on the disease was less than 0%. This was an innocent animal that should have been left to live out his natural life.I'm horrified
animals have as much right to live as the humans. they are less cruel than the people. they have had a proper balance through the ages which the humans did not. Shambo should be left alone, not just because it is considered 'sacred' but because it has the right to life.
would you kill a person just because he, she or 'it'and 'there are those as well in this world', is suffering communicable disease and mingle quite freely among other and in this society.
the bull should be treated and not killed
It is factually wrong to say that bull is not worshipped in Hindu community. Hindus worship animals particularly the bull as it is the backbone of the farming community.
It is impossible for (most of)the people of this country who think everything other than humans are part of their food chain to empathise with an animal.
There are lot of birds and wild animals which have various diseases and they are more prone to pass on the disease rather than a poor bull secluded and maintained with utmost caution.
Logic fails when emotion rules