SASKATOON – The last animal imported from Britain during the mad cow scare has died and its owner is crying foul.
Gordon Kohl said his Highland bull, which died earlier this month, was deliberately poisoned.
“It died in a pool of white foam,” said Kohl of Georgeville, Que. “The animal pranced around like a king not 18 hours before. He was in absolute superb condition.”
While the autopsy report did not pinpoint the cause of death, it did not rule out poisoning, he said. Kohl added he heard a contract was taken out on the bull by a group in Western Canada believing Canada’s livestock reputation rested on the elimination of all animals imported from Britain between 1982 and 1990.
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In 1993, a cow in Red Deer, Alta., was diagnosed with Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy. Since then, about 300 cattle from Britain have been slaughtered in Canada to halt the spread of the disease.
A few days after Kohl’s bull died, the Federal Court of Appeal ruled against him in his fight against Agriculture Canada to keep the bull alive.
Stan Petran, an Agriculture Canada official in Calgary, said he rejects Kohl’s claims.
“I think he’s reading too many novels,” said Petran. “There was definitely not a contract put up by anyone, including Agriculture Canada.”
More than 100,000 animals in Britain have been destroyed since the disease was identified.
Because Kohl’s Highland bull came from a remote part of the British Isles before being imported to Canada 13 years ago, Kohl took Agriculture Canada to court to stop his bull from being slaughtered on the “suspicion” of the disease.
