Air Force mascot, a falcon, is injured by West Point cadets during prank
 

Air Force mascot, a falcon, is injured by West Point cadets during prank
By Mihir Zaveri NEW YORK TIMES NOVEMBER 05, 2018
RE: https://www.bostonglobe.com/news/nat...xEO/story.html

Photo link: https://c.o0bg.com/rf/image_835w/Bos...a8ea5c88-0.jpg
An Air Force Academy cadet accompanied the falcon Aurora, an academy mascot, aboard an airplane in 2004. The falcon was injured recently in a prank gone wrong.

As Saturday approached, the US Military Academy revved up for a football game against the visiting Air Force Academy in West Point, N.Y., in a highly charged clash of rivals.

And with the rivalry came an idea of mischief.

But a scheme by West Point cadets to swipe two falcons belonging to the Air Force Academy ended with one of the birds bloodied, the start of an investigation, and a public apology from West Point.

The episode began sometime Friday night, said Sam Dollar, the Air Force Academy’s falconry team adviser, on Sunday.