A fixture at Auburn football games will not be seen during the 2017 season.
On Monday, it was announced that the Tigers’ iconic golden eagle Nova, War Eagle VII will not be making its pre-game flights this year after being diagnosed with a medical condition.
According to al.com, the Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine diagnosed Nova with a chronic heart disease, cardiomyopathy. Because of that, a bald eagle, Spirit, will take Nova’s place during the pre-game festivities.
Nova is 18 years old.
From the report:
Because of the risk of severe medical complications, veterinary medical staff decided that Nova should not be placed in situations that cause his heart to work harder than usual. Instead, the beloved eagle will rest comfortably in his enclosure at the raptor center.
“Vessels that are constricted, like those that are seen in Nova’s scan, can have dangerous complications when put under increased stress from exercise,” said Dr. Seung-Woo Jung, an assistant professor of cardiology in the Department of Clinical Sciences at the College of Veterinary Medicine. “This includes aneurysm or clot formation that could lead to vascular rupture, stroke, aortic thromboembolism or heart attack.”
The good news for those who want to catch a glimpse of Nova is that the golden eagle will attend educational functions throughout the year. War Eagle.
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