Geronimo the alpaca is being lovingly hand-fed his last meals as he awaits his execution this week.
Owner Helen Macdonald, 50, is cherishing every last moment with the animal, after the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) ordered the eight-year-old alpaca to be slaughtered as he was believed to be infected with bovine tuberculosis - having tested positive twice.
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According to The Sun, Macdonald is now feeding Geronimo his favourite meals as he awaits his fate.
She told the outlet: "Every moment I get with him is special as it could be the last. I've been hand-feeding him as it's a bit more personal."
She explained that Geronimo has become agitated, saying he can feel her distress.
"He can sense my anxiety," Macdonald added.
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"I hate these strange times Defra are giving."
Geronimo has been on death row since the High Court rejected Macdonald's request for a review of the order to kill him, which mandates he must be slaughtered by 4 September
Macdonald, who maintains that the tests returned false positives, lost her final appeal earlier this month, and a warrant was signed for Geronimo's destruction.
Last week, a judge also refused Macdonald's urgent application for a temporary injunction to halt the enforcement of the destruction order.
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Mrs Justice Stacey concluded there was 'no prospect' of Macdonald succeeding in her bid to reopen a previous ruling.
Macdonald said at the time: "It's not over. They seem to want to make it my decision, and make me put my animal to sleep, to get the blood off their hands. I'm not doing it."
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Defra previously said it would not do anything before 5pm on 20 August.
A spokesperson said: "We are sympathetic to Ms Macdonald's situation - just as we are with everyone with animals affected by this terrible disease.
"It is for this reason that the testing results and options for Geronimo have been very carefully considered by Defra, the Animal and Plant Health Agency and its veterinary experts, as well as passing several stages of thorough legal scrutiny.
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"Bovine tuberculosis is one of the greatest animal health threats we face today and causes devastation and distress for farming families and rural communities across the country while costing the taxpayer around £100m every year.
"Therefore, while nobody wants to cull animals, we need to do everything we can to tackle this disease, stop it spreading and to protect the livelihoods of those affected."
Featured Image Credit: PA
Topics: UK News, News, Animals