If You’re Playing Soccer in Colombia, Do Not Kick an Owl

From The Week:

During a Colombian championship soccer match last weekend, Panamanian player Luís Moreno outraged fans and players alike when he brutally kicked the opposing team’s mascot, an owl, that had mistakenly flown onto the field. Players immediately confronted Moreno, and fans soon began chanting “murderer!” The owl was taken to a veterinary clinic, and on Tuesday morning, it was reported to have died of a respiratory arrest. Colombian authorities were already planning to press charges against Moreno; according to a local radio station, he could face jail time.

The reaction: “I apologize to the fans, it wasn’t my intention,” said Moreno after the game, as quoted by Colombia Reports. “I did it to see if the owl could fly.”

This article appears in Feb 24 – Mar 2, 2011.