A grounded common owl that was kicked off the field by soccer player Luis Moreno in Barranquilla during a play-off match has died...outraging animal rights activists.
After his action, some fans chanted: "killer, killer, killer."
Moreno said he did not know the bird was a good-luck charm.
"I want to apologize to the fans," he said after the game. "I was not trying to hurt the owl. I did it to see if it would fly."
Animal cruelty laws there can punish offenders with up to three months in jail.
Many activists want Moreno, a native of Panama, to get the maximum.