Aurora, a 22-year-old falcon who is a mascot of the United States Air Force Academy, was injured during a prank by West Point cadets when the Air Force played Army in football, according to officials and reports.
The reports raised furious calls for those responsible for Aurora’s injuries to be disciplined, and the United States Military Academy announced it was investigating.
Troy Garnhart, associate athletic director for strategic communications at the Air Force Academy, confirmed that Aurora was injured and that the falcon was flown back on Saturday night from West Point, N.Y., to the academy near Colorado Springs to be treated by a specialist.