Hindu monks pray for Shambo after police arrive to take bull

London: Hindu monks at a monastery in rural Wales chanted and prayed for a miracle yesterday, as veterinary officials planned on slaughtering a sacred bull infected with tuberculosis.

The plight of Shambo has been shown unfolding on an internet webcast, called Moo Tube, tracking the movements of the flower-garlanded bull in his hay-filled shrine at the Skanda Vale monastery in southwest Wales.

The monastery also launched an internet campaign to save Shambo's life, and last week a Welsh judge ordered local authorities to reconsider their decision to kill the bull, considered sacred in the Hindu faith.

But the Court of Appeal in London reversed that decision on Monday, ruling that killing him would be justified to prevent the disease's spread.

Yesterday morning, a veterinary official and two police officers arrived at Skanda Vale to take the bull away, but were met at the monastery's locked gates by monks who demanded they show a court warrant. The officials left to obtain the paperwork.

Monks warned that removing the bull would be difficult even if the officials get the proper documents.

"They will have to physically desecrate a temple to get him," said Brother Michael, one of the monks. "He's locked here and we will be having an act of worship in front of where he is."