Kayla the Eagle absent from Selhurst Park over bird flu fears

AFP/Getty Images
Alex Young @alexwsyoung10 February 2017

Crystal Palace mascot Kayla the Eagle has been "grounded" by Selhurst Park staff over fears of bird flu.

The American Bald Eagle has been absent from her pre-match rituals at the ground, prompting questions from match goers.

The eagle's no-shows have coincided with a disastrous run of form from Palace, who languish in 19th after a run of one win in 10 Premier League games.

Kayla, though, has been ordered against taking flight following restrictions put in place by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA).

"Kayla is ‘grounded’ due to restrictions for Avian Flu issued by DEFRA," Eagle Heights, where Kayla lives, confirmed to Standard Sport. "She will be back once restrictions are removed."

All captive birds must be kept away from their wild counterparts until February 28 to avoid the spread of avian influenza, more commonly known as bird flu.

Palace travel to the bet365 stadium on Saturday to face Stoke City as Sam Allardyce looks to make amends for the 4-0 home thrashing at the hands of Sunderland.

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