Air Force Academy Chooses New Gyrfalcon To Be Live Mascot
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (CBS4) - The Air Force Academy has a new live mascot. Like the previous mascot, it's a gyrfalcon -- the largest falcon in the world.
Our new falcon mascot — an as of yet unnamed female gyrfalcon. Names to be voted on by the Cadet Wing later this year. What name would you pick? #YourAcademy pic.twitter.com/HkxCQhvVTQ
— U.S. Air Force Academy (@AF_Academy) June 23, 2020
The new mascot's name will be voted on by the Cadet Wing later this year.
"We look forward to raising her and sharing her with all our USAFA fans," officials wrote on Instagram.
In October 2019, the AFA's longest-serving live mascot "Aurora" passed away. Aurora was 23 years old -- roughly twice the age of falcons in the wild.
"Aurora was quite rare. Only three percent of all falcons are Gyrfalcons, and only one percent of Gyrfalcons are white," AFA officials stated.