The owl mascot of the Colombian soccer team Atletico Junior died on Sunday after being kicked off the field by Luis Moreno, a player for the opposing side. The owl was first hit by a ball in mid-pass; a refereee stopped the game and Moreno, apparently unclear on proper owl-moving techniques, kicked the animal. "I want to apologise to the fans," he said later. "I was not trying to hurt the owl. I did it to see if it would fly." [Sydney Morning Herald]