Shambo Shambles?

Raging Bull?

There is a raging debate (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_west/6637359.stm) about plans to slaughter a bull (Shambo) kept in a Hindu shrine at Llanpumsaint, Carmarthenshire who has tested positive for bovine TB. The animal is one of the sacred animals kept by Hindus at Skanda Vale Temple, a location that is visited by up to 90,000 pilgrims per year. Bovine TB is a very unpleasant disease for the animal (it has profound welfare implications) and could, if spread, have very powerful commercial impacts on farming around the area (especially in dairy cattle). The people running the shrine appear outraged at the possibility of having to kill their animal and are threatening to take legal action, claiming that the bull can be isolated such that the prospect of transferring TB to other cattle and humans is minimised (this seems rather unlikely if he is used in ceremonies, especially given the annual influx of pilgrims). They also claim that there is provision under the Animal Health Act 1981 and the TB Order Wales 2000 for the Assembly to make a special dispensation for Shambo (perhaps including vaccination). Some of the issues surrounding the health issues of bovine TB are available on a DEFRA web site (http://www,defra.gov.uk/animalh/tb/index.htm). An overview of the Hindu religion (the third largest world religion) is provided by the BBC (http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/hinduism/). The IT literate temple arranged an online petition to save Shambo. This is shaping up to be one of those very difficult situations where there are passionately held (but totally incompatible) beliefs on both sides. Actually its a clash of ethical systems. Much of UK and EU law in this area is based on utilitarianism ('the greatest good for the greatest number') whereas the Hindus are expressing a moral absolute ('thou shalt not kill').

UPDATE

A temporary stay of execution of Shambo was given on 17th May 2007