The Government’s decision to slaughter a sacred Hindu bull that tested positive for bovine tuberculosis is “a desecration” of Hindu belief say British Hindus, who are preparing to form a human chain to prevent it.

Shambo the bull at Skandavale Temple Llanpumsaint, Carmathen, Wales, tested positive for bovine tuberculosis following a routine check at the end of last month and now the National Assembly for Wales have issued the temple with a notice of intended slaughter.

The Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs' (Defra) guidelines state that animals believed to be infected should be slaughtered in order to prevent the spread of the disease in the animal and human population.

Ramesh Kallidai, Secretary-General of the Hindu Forum of Britain said Shambo was healthy and called upon David Miliband, the Environment Secretary to reconsider his department's decision. "If TB does develop in him, given appropriate care he can be expected to make a full recovery." Mr Kallidai said the temple had sought veternary advice and had taken "robust measures" to isolate the animal and minimise the spread of disease. Killing Shambo will violate our faith tradition and desecrate our temple. It goes against all accepted norms of our faith," he said.

Hindus believe cows and bulls are sacred and killing them is against their religion.

The Hindu Forum has called on Britain’s 175,000 Hindus to form a human chain around the bull to prevent its slaughter and has launched an online petition to protest at the decision. Shamba was born and has lived all his life in the Hindu temple.

Bovine TB, the symptoms of which may not appear in cattle for many years after infection, can be transmitted to humans in direct contact with cattle. One per cent of all confirmed cases of TB in humans in Britain are due to infection with the bovine form, according to Defra.

Symptoms are exactly the same as those caused by the human form of TB, including coughing, fever, and extreme tiredness and can lead to death if not treated.

Swami Suryananda, a Senior Monk at the temple that is also home to an elephant and 50 cattle said: “We respect the divinity embodied in every life. If they kill Shamba people are going to be mortified, it will be a desecration of our whole religion.”

A Welsh Assembly Government spokesperson said: “An animal kept by the Community of the Many Names of God has tested positive, and the case is being dealt with in the usual way. Every effort will be made to deal with this case as sensitively as possible."