Auburn University says its famed golden eagle Nova, also known as War Eagle VII, could be in the early stages of heart failure.

The university made the announcement Tuesday in a news release.

The 20-year-old male eagle for more than a decade soared above the crowd at university football games.

He was sidelined from the pregame tradition after a 2017 diagnosis of cardiomyopathy, a chronic disease of the heart.

Dr. Seth Oster, faculty avian veterinarian for the college’s Southeastern Raptor Center, said a recent exam indicated the eagle could be in the early stages of heart failure. V

eterinarians are adjusting medication dosages to try to treat the condition.

Aurea, a 5-year-old female golden eagle, and Spirit, a 23-year-old female bald eagle, have made pregame flights this season.