The fate of a sacred Hindu bull was sealed today after a last ditch attempt by monks to save it was rejected.

The temple’s monks have now vowed to hold a round-the-clock prayer vigil in hope of a miracle to save Shambo.

Monks had appealed to the Welsh Assembly Government to retest the animal after judges ruled it should be killed. But a spokesman for the Government said a second test, to determine that the bull had TB, was not necessary. It was not revealed when the bullock would be slaughted.

Shambo tested positive for bovine TB after a routine skin check in May but the monks claim one in every 1000 tests return a positive result, meaning Shambo could still be healthy. A spokesman for the Welsh Assembly Government defended the testing procedure as the “best” available. “We do not believe that a retest is necessary or appropriate,” he said.

The monks' plea came after all legal avenues in the fight to save the sacred bull were exhausted. The Court of Appeal in London yesterday ruled that Shambo’s slaughter was “justified” and the monks were not granted the right of appeal.

Ramesh Kallidai, Secretary General of the Hindu Forum of Britain, said the rejection showed the Government's promise to handle the matter sensitively "was not true". Mr Kallidai admitted that options were now running out, but said discussions with lawyers were continuing and a vigil would be kept. “Any government official who wishes to slaughter Shambo will have to interrupt the ceremony to bring the bull out, desecrating not only the temple but a Hindu act of worship.”