Hokie Bird Taken

If you've been to Blacksburg, you've seen them all around town. The Gobble De Art Hokie birds are becoming a popular sight. But one Hokie bird was taken from his perch at the Huckleberry Trail entrance early Sunday morning.

Leiutenant Joe Davis with Blacksburg police says "one of our officers was exercising on the Huckleberry trail and noticed that the Hokie bird that normally stands at the head of the trail, had been moved a couple hundred yards down the trail." So the officer picked up the bird and took him back to the Police department just a block over and kept him in their custody.

The bird is missing a toe and his hiking stick which was taken 2 weeks ago. But what may have been a funny prank will now end up costing the town some money. According to Diane Akers with the Blacksburg Partnership Foundation, each Hokie bird is insured but there's a $1,000 deductible. So the foundation will have to cover the first thousand dollars of the damage. For now, the police department is doing a little more "bird watching" and asks that everyone else does the same.

The bird will be taken back to the foundation's office where the artist will look it over to decide how it can be fixed, they'll also have to find a new home for the Hiking Hokie bird.

If you have any information please call the Blacksburg Police Department at 540-961-1150.,

...pranksters...

WSLS.com | Hokie Bird Taken

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