The mascot owl of Barranquilla soccer team Junior died after being kicked by a Pereira player in Sunday’s game.
According to veterinarians treating the animal, the owl died of a respiratory arrest at 2:30AM Tuesday.
Judicial authorities announced Monday they will press charges against Pereira player Luis Moreno, who brutally kicked the bird after it landed on the field.
The kick led to a furious reaction of the Barranquilla crowd who considered the owl the team’s good luck charm. The Panama-born player had to be protected by police when walking off the field.
According to Bogota radio station Santa Fe, current animal protection laws allow the player to be jailed for “one to three months and be fined between 5,000 to 50,000 pesos ($2.6 to $26).”