The Auburn board of trustees voted Friday to retire the beloved 20-year-old golden eagle Nova, the university announced in a press release. Nova had been serving since 2006 as the university’s seventh official War Eagle.
In games following his flights, the Auburn football team went 44-14.
Cardiomyopathy, a chronic heart disease, has kept Nova off the field since 2017. The bird of prey made 58 pregame flights and has appeared in almost 2,000 educational programs at the raptor center and at different events across the Southeast.
Dr. Seth Oster, a faculty avian veterinarian, said that in retirement, “Nova will be mostly restricted to presentations at the raptor center, we will keep him in low-stress situations, either sitting on a perch or sitting on a glove.”
“Nova has brought much attention to wildlife conservation and is treasured by the Auburn Family and countless fans and conservationists across the country,” Auburn interim President Jay Gogue said.
The mantle of War Eagle will be taken up by Aurea, a five-year-old female with a 6.5-foot wingspan.
“Aurea actually made her stadium flight debut last season prior to the Liberty game and has flown at most of our home games this season,” said Andrew Hopkins, assistant director of raptor training and education.
The tradition of golden eagles at Auburn dates back to the 19th century. Aurea will be the eighth bird to take up the mantle War Eagle.
A transition ceremony will be held during halftime of the Samford game on Saturday, November 23.
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Henry Thornton is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can contact him by email: [email protected] or on Twitter @HenryThornton95.
