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Aurora, a 22-year-old mascot mascot from the United States Air Force Academy, was wounded at a joke by West Point cadets when the Air Force played against the United States Air Force Academy. army in football, according to official sources and reports.
The reports sparked furious calls for Aurora's injury officers to be sanctioned, and the US Military Academy announced the launch of an investigation.
Troy Garnhart, assistant athletic director for strategic communications at the Air Force Academy, confirmed that Aurora had been injured and that the hawk had been repatriated Saturday night from West Point (NY) to the academy near Colorado Springs for treatment by a specialist.
He would not confirm the information that the West Point cadets were involved or the nature of the stuffing reported.
Mr. Garnhart stated that he did not know Aurora's condition on Sunday, but The Colorado Springs Gazette, citing sources from the Air Force Academy, said the falcon's wings had been injured during the farce, that these injuries were probably life threatening and that Aurora should be euthanized.
Mr. Garnhart said that he did not know where and how it was discovered that Aurora had been injured on Saturday.
The Gazette announced Saturday that the cadets had taken Aurora to an army colonel.
Chevelle Thomas, a spokeswoman for West Point, said Sunday that "the US Military Academy is sincerely apologizing for an incident involving the United States of America. the cadets and Falcons of the Air Force Academy.
"One of the birds has been injured and the case is currently under investigation," Ms. Thomas said. "We take this situation very seriously."
She did not answer questions about the nature of the prank or the details of Aurora's injuries.
Many angry posted on Facebook and Twitter that if the West Point cadets were responsible, they should be deported, or that West Point should be held legally responsible. Some called the reports "shameful" of the military, noting that the West Point cadet code of honor states that "a cadet will not lie, cheat, steal, and tolerate not those who do it. "
Ms. Thomas said that West Point had apologized to the Air Force Academy and that "this event did not reflect" the core values of the military and the military academy, such as "the dignity and respect ".
Joe Kosakowski, Regional Director of According to the North American Falconers Association, Aurora would be considered old, because the life span of hawks can reach 25 years. Mr. Kosakowski said falcon wings, although flexible, had hollow bones, and that these could be injured "incidentally if someone does not know how to handle a bird".
Mr Kosakowski said that he did not think that injuries to the wing would necessarily put life in danger. He added that hawks regularly suffer wing injuries and that many can be cared for and live. He said he was familiar with the Air Force Academy's Falcon program and should have the necessary staff to treat Aurora.
"There are a lot of things you can do depending on how much you want to spend," said Kosakowski. "This bird, depending on the type of fracture or the type of fracture, if it was an injury to the wing, would probably not die. But the ability to fly again depends on the type of injury and what is available to them. "
The US Military Academy has a long history of pranks and football, especially in the days leading up to the army-to-navy football match. The mascots were the target of these jokes.
In 1991, after aspirants stormed a West Point veterinary clinic, took four army mules and were chased by helicopters, the two academies signed a pact exempting the mascots from their pranks.
Then, in 2002, one of the Navy Academy's goats was stolen, apparently by West Point cadets.
The hawks were chosen as the mascot of the Air Force Academy in 1955, and Aurora is one of the many falcons mascots of the academy. Mr. Garnhart could not tell immediately how many he had. He said that he was not aware of a time when a hawk had already been caught.
Mr. Garnhart stated that Aurora, a species of falcon called gyrfalcon, attended "most" football games, but did not perform them. The whitish color of Aurora is rare and only occurs in 1% of to a 2011 Air Force Academy press release, which indicated that Aurora is capricious.
Mr Kosakowski said the Gyrfalcons could weigh between 50 and 60 ounces and that they were the biggest hawk in North America. He said that Gyrfalcons are "very expensive birds", but that they are raised regularly in the United States.
The army beat the air force 17 to 14 on Saturday.
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