Now that a British Court of Appeals has upheld an order to slaughter a sacred bull that is infected with tuberculosis, Welsh authorities have attempted to take the bull from the Skanda Vale temple in Llanpumsaint where Hindu monks have taken it for protection. Health authorities, however, were kept from entering the Skanda Vale grounds by a locked gate, a parked car and supporters of the sacred bull who were chanting and praying. The monks have insisted that authorities obtain a warrant before entering the temple grounds. Veterinary officials and police are now moving to do so, and a spokesman for the monks said that then they will not offer physical resistance. IOL and This Is London (with extensive photos) report on these developments today.
UPDATE: By Thursday evening (London time), Shambo the bull had been taken away for slaughter by lethal injection. Initially police returned with a warrant, but only posted it instead of confronting 100 demonstrators. Thursday evening, though, 20 police cut a chain securing the temple gates, dragged away some of the demonstrators, led the sacred bull to a trailer and took him away. (AP and Inthenews).
