Gloucestershire, UK - Geronimo the alpaca has been euthanized by government vets carrying out a court-ordered destruction warrant.

The beloved animal was rounded up on Tuesday morning as other alpacas watched on from a nearby field, before being loaded into a trailer, which then left the farm near Wickwar, South Gloucestershire in the UK.

Defra said Geronimo was killed by staff from the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) in order to control the spread of bovine tuberculosis.

Geronimo had twice tested positive for bovine tuberculosis and a destruction warrant has been ordered for the animal, although owner Helen Macdonald believed the tests had returned false positives and thousands of members of the public backed her plea to halt his culling or at least have him tested a third time.

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After a final appeal at the London High Court failed, Macdonald said she would try to block Geronimo's seizure by any non-violent means possible with the help of her supporters.

Downing Street has expressed sympathy, with the Prime Minister's official spokesman saying: "It's obviously highly distressing for someone to lose animals to TB and that's a situation that farmers sadly have to face."

"Our sympathies are with Ms Macdonald and any others that are affected by this terrible disease."