Mayo's gay bull makes BBC appearance

SIX years after escaping the slaughterhouse, Mayo's gay bull, Benjy, is still attracting media attention.

His latest appearance was on the BBC's 'The One Show' last night, which showed Benjy is enjoying a good life at a sanctuary in the UK.

Back in 2014, Benjy, a Charolais bull, made global headlines after a story by journalist Joanna McNicholas in The Connaught Telegraph highlighted his plight.

The bull was considered gay because he didn't show any interest in cows, and was due to be sent to slaughter as a result.

A global fundraising effort to save Benjy saw him take the boat to the UK where he took up residence at the Hillside Animal Sanctuary in Norwich.

The BBC visited Hillside to catch up on how he is getting on and, as usual, Benjy took all the attention in his stride.

Having had the necessary 'op', Hillside reported that Benjy continues to live happily at the sanctuary with their other cows, including Bernie, another bull who also faced slaughter because he was found to be sterile.

There has been continuing interest in Benjy ever since he took up residence there.

This picture shared by Hillside Animal Sanctuary on their Facebook page shows Benjy on the right while his friend Bernie, also a Charolais, is on the left.

Last year Benjy was the subject of an RTÉ Radio One documentary, Benjy the Little Gay Bull.