A llama farm owner in Gloucestershire has been left devastated after a tuberculosis (TB) outbreak forced the culling of nine animals and the closure of the business for most of 2026. Lisa Fox, who runs Briery Hill Llamas in Newent, Forest of Dean, said seven llamas were culled on her birthday after testing positive for the disease, following instructions from the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA).
The Outbreak and Its Immediate Impact
The crisis began when a llama named Stardust fell ill and later died. A post-mortem confirmed TB, triggering urgent testing across the entire herd. The results revealed seven more animals were infected, leaving Lisa with the difficult decision to have them put down to protect the rest of the animals. A further 27 llamas remain in isolation, with fears they could also be culled if future tests come back positive.
Lisa said: "As a family we are devastated after losing eight llamas to TB. We have been offered no help by the government bodies and we are now closed down for practically the whole of 2026. Stardust was the first llama that became ill on the farm. He passed away, and the post-mortem showed it got TB."
Financial and Emotional Toll
The family-owned farm, which also keeps pigs and cows, was subjected to mandatory TB testing by APHA. However, the main income comes from llama experiences, including trekking and therapy work. Lisa is now unable to offer these until further rounds of clear TB testing are completed, likely by the end of 2026. Although compensation is available for culled animals, Lisa says it does not cover veterinary bills or wider financial losses.
She explained: "The vet bill for Stardust was nearly £15,000. But no additional support has been offered despite the farm losing its main source of income. The APHA sets a standard payment for animals culled due to TB, but this amount does not even clear the vet fees resulting from Stardust's illness. It also does not account for the time, breeding, expertise, and care invested in working with Stardust and all the other beautiful llamas we have lost."
The family has had to borrow money from relatives to install electric fencing to reduce the risk of further disease spread. With the business effectively on hold, Lisa says the emotional and financial toll has been overwhelming. "You lose sleep because you think how are we going to live?" she said. "Now we have 27 llamas left, but we are not allowed to work with those llamas from a point of view of bringing people in. If the public comes to the farm, they have to be three meters away from the llamas. Well, that’s our business gone."
Uncertain Future for Remaining Llamas
Lisa fears that the other llamas might have to be put down, even though they tested negative in the first round. The llamas must wait until July 10 for a skin test, followed by a blood test 10 days later, which gives a better picture. Results can take up to 30 days, and even if negative, they will need to wait 90 days and repeat the tests. If positive, they must be euthanized. Lisa said: "Until you have two rounds of clearance, that’s by the end of 2026. They need to change the way they test, so rather than 90 days, they need to bring it forward to 60 days because it is not helpful."
Stardust, The Pocket Rocket, Merlin, Rossi, Dylan, Troy, Querrida, and Baloo brought joy to many people and gave our family so much happiness. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the government provided grants to businesses. We are expected to continue with no income and with no financial support from the authorities, despite our grief.
Community Support and Government Response
Lisa has set up a GoFundMe page to cover the cost of feeding the animals and paying veterinary bills while the llama trekking business is closed. So far, they have raised over £6,500. According to Defra, the rapid removal of any animal infected with or suspected to be infected with TB is vital to quickly contain the disease and protect other animals and livestock nearby. The government pays compensation for any animal compulsorily removed to control TB. Llama and alpaca owners can take measures to reduce their risk of TB through voluntary movement testing and seeking support from the TB Advisory Service.
A Defra spokesperson said: "We appreciate the difficulty of these situations, and our sympathies remain with all those with animals affected by bovine tuberculosis. This is a serious disease that causes devastation for farmers and rural communities and is why we must have measures in place to reduce the risk of the disease spreading. The government pays compensation for any animal compulsorily removed for TB control purposes."
