Nov. 2, 2006
AU to retire golden eagle Tiger during Georgia game
Auburn University officials will retire the school’s famed 26-year-old golden eagle Tiger during the Nov. 11 football game against the University of Georgia. The pregame ceremony will begin 25 minutes prior to kickoff.
Officials will also present her successor as War Eagle VII at halftime.
“Tiger has been, and will continue to be, a much-treasured part of Auburn University history,” said AU President Ed Richardson. “She will still make guest appearances at games and will remain a vital part of the educational programs of the Southeastern Raptor Center.”
Serving as War Eagle VI, Tiger has represented the university’s school spirit since 1986 and has been flying before home football games since 2000. In 2002 she flew during the opening ceremonies of the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, with her flight being seen by millions of television viewers around the world.
Earlier this year AU veterinarians diagnosed a recurring mass on Tiger's right leg as skin cancer. The low-grade but delicately located tumor was surgically removed again in June and was additionally treated with local radiation therapy.
“Tiger is doing very well and has been able to train for stadium flights,” said Dr. Timothy Boosinger, veterinary dean. “So far there is little evidence of recurrence and we are hoping for long-term success, however it is still too early to know the long-term prognosis.”
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service rescued Tiger in the mid-1980s from an illegal breeding operation in Missouri and placed her briefly in a rehabilitation facility in Kentucky, before transferring her to Auburn. She is now viewed by more than 50,000 children per year during the raptor center’s educational programs, not counting spectators each fall at home football games.
In 2005, Tiger was recognized for her contributions to Auburn and to the state of Alabama by being inducted into the Alabama Animal Hall of Fame.
During Tiger’s reign as War Eagle VI, the football team has complied a record of 174-69-4, including undefeated seasons in 1993 and 2004. The team won four Southeastern Conference Championships and six SEC Western Division championships.
The university is honoring the longtime icon through a special 2007 calendar, “Tiger: A Tribute,” which is available through the AU’s Photographic Services website at www.auburn.edu/photo or by phone at (334) 844-4560. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the raptor center.
University officials at halftime will also present six-year-old golden eagle Nova as the next official Auburn eagle, War Eagle VII. Nova and 11-year-old bald eagle Spirit have been making pre-game flights for three years and five years, respectively.
“Auburn has had golden eagles since the late 1800s, and now Nova will uphold the tradition of promoting Auburn and wildlife conservation,” said Marianne Murphy, who trains AU’s eagles with colleague Roy Crowe. “We are very privileged to have such a unique tradition at Auburn University.”
Nova was born in captivity in the Montgomery, Ala., Zoo in 1999 and was transferred to Auburn when he was six months old.
All birds used in Auburn’s educational programs are non-releasable due to prior injuries or human imprinting. Any bird capable of surviving in the wild must be released, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which permits Auburn to house the birds.
The Southeastern Raptor Center’s mission is to promote wildlife conservation with the educational use of birds of prey, to rehabilitate ill and injured raptors, and to collaborate in raptor research efforts. The center, part of the College of Veterinary Medicine, treats hundreds of birds of prey annually from species such as bald eagles, golden eagles, peregrine falcons, great horned owls and red-tailed hawks.
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