EPTAn owl that was viciously kicked by professional soccer player Luis Moreno during a Colombian first division game died early Tuesday as a result of the brutal attack that has outraged animal rights activists.
With 20 minutes remaining in Sunday's game between Junior de Barranquilla and visiting side Deportivo Perreira, Moreno kicked the home team's mascot that had accidentally been hit by the match ball after wandering onto the field.
Teammates and opponents looked in disbelief while the Deportivo Perreira defender violently punted the stunned, helpless owl – one of many that live on the roof of Barranquilla Metropolitan Stadium and fly over the pitch before games - out of bounds. Infuriated fans showered Moreno with insults, chanting "killer, killer, killer."
Despite showing signs of improvement as late as Monday night, the bird "went into a state of shock and died," attending veterinarian Camilo Tapia told the local press, Triunfo reported.
According to Radio Caracol of Colombia, the exact cause of death was capture myopathy, which develops in animals that are subjected to extreme physical conditions, such as exertion, struggle and stress.
Animal cruelty laws in Colombia can punish offenders with up to three months in jail, which is the sentence many are calling for Moreno to receive. Local activists are also urging league officials to permanently expel Moreno - who is a native of Panama - from Colombian football.
"We demand that Dimayor and Deportivo Perreira immediately sever ties with this player. No excuse is enough, it's an act that has no justification whatsoever," Marcela Ramirez, president of Colombia's Society for the Protection of Animals, told Radio Caracol.
Aware that he's treading on thin ice, Moreno is apologizing to anyone that will listen to him and now claims he was actually trying to help the owl.
"It wasn't my intention to hit the animal. What I tried to do was wake it up so it could fly," Moreno said, according to Reuters.
The video below tells a different story, however.
With 20 minutes remaining in Sunday's game between Junior de Barranquilla and visiting side Deportivo Perreira, Moreno kicked the home team's mascot that had accidentally been hit by the match ball after wandering onto the field.
Teammates and opponents looked in disbelief while the Deportivo Perreira defender violently punted the stunned, helpless owl – one of many that live on the roof of Barranquilla Metropolitan Stadium and fly over the pitch before games - out of bounds. Infuriated fans showered Moreno with insults, chanting "killer, killer, killer."
Despite showing signs of improvement as late as Monday night, the bird "went into a state of shock and died," attending veterinarian Camilo Tapia told the local press, Triunfo reported.
According to Radio Caracol of Colombia, the exact cause of death was capture myopathy, which develops in animals that are subjected to extreme physical conditions, such as exertion, struggle and stress.
Animal cruelty laws in Colombia can punish offenders with up to three months in jail, which is the sentence many are calling for Moreno to receive. Local activists are also urging league officials to permanently expel Moreno - who is a native of Panama - from Colombian football.
"We demand that Dimayor and Deportivo Perreira immediately sever ties with this player. No excuse is enough, it's an act that has no justification whatsoever," Marcela Ramirez, president of Colombia's Society for the Protection of Animals, told Radio Caracol.
Aware that he's treading on thin ice, Moreno is apologizing to anyone that will listen to him and now claims he was actually trying to help the owl.
"It wasn't my intention to hit the animal. What I tried to do was wake it up so it could fly," Moreno said, according to Reuters.
The video below tells a different story, however.
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/more_sports/2011/03/01/2011-03-01_owl_kicked_by_soccer_player_luis_moreno_during_game_in_colombia_dies_as_a_result.html#ixzz1FP0esOyo
I love this part:
"It wasn't my intention to hit the animal. What I tried to do was wake it up so it could fly," Moreno said, according to Reuters.
So I bet he "Intentionally" slipped and "accidently" kicked the animal...
I don't follow football/soccer, but was that a barn owl or something, and how did it randomly wander on? In the video, the shape of the owl suddenly makes itself apparent, whereupon the owl is hit. >n<
