Bodmin farmer's heartbreak after whole herd of alpacas wiped out by TB

Watch Sam Blackledge's report

A Bodmin farmer has said she's had to start her business from scratch after her entire herd of alpacas was wiped out by bovine tuberculosis (TB).

Emma Collinson, who runs Moorview Alpaca Farm on Bodmin Moor, said she's had to spend her "whole life savings" to get her farm up and running again.

The 38-year-old opened an alpaca trekking experience on the farm in 2018.

Just three years later, the farm became infected with TB which resulted in the death of 48 of the alpacas.

She has now been forced to buy a new herd, but customers haven't been able to visit until recently because of TB restrictions which were in place until last month.

]"The whole farm went down with TB and I lost 48 of the alpacas which was the entire herd," she said.

She added: "I had to use the savings we made over Covid that was supposed to get the house watertight.

"I also had to purchase an entire herd of alpacas to reopen the business because notifiable illnesses are not covered by insurance.

"In March 2022 we basically had to start the business from scratch with nothing but our reputation."

Emma had been living in a caravan on the farm and had some money ring-fenced to fix the roof of her house and hopefully get to a point where it was in a liveable state, but she said she had to spend her "life savings" on buying more alpacas.

Emma and her partner Stuart also sell various meat products including alpaca meat and items made with wool sheared from the animals. The pair also host weddings and events on the farm.

But she said the alpaca trekking side of the business is fundamental to its success and because of this they had no choice but to fork out and replace the herd.

Emma said: "We only came out of TB restrictions a month ago so haven't been able to do any weddings or events or stuff we'd usually do and with the cost of living crisis there has been a loss of customers."

She said because TB is a notifiable disease no business insurance claim could be made.

"Even if it could it doesn't cover the three months we were shut and all the merchandise we've had to bin," she added.

"It's not easy but you just have to carry on. You haven't really got any choice and you have to keep trying to make it work," she added.