Flaco, the eagle owl that escaped from New York City’s Central Park Zoo last year, died after crashing into a building in Manhattan, officials announced late Friday.
Flaco collided with a building and fell down. west 89th street People then reported the injured owl to the Wild Bird Foundation (WBF). statement Here’s what the Central Park Zoo had to say: WBF staff quickly found Flaco unresponsive and pronounced him dead at the scene.
Central Park Zoo officials said they went to pick up Flaco’s body after receiving notice of Flaco’s death from WBF. The body was then taken to the Bronx Zoo for an autopsy.
In a statement from the Central Park Zoo, officials said they remain hopeful that New York City police will be able to apprehend the person responsible for destroying Flaco’s enclosure and fleeing the owl’s exhibit on February 2 of last year. Ta. 13 years old and living in the wild.
“The vandals who destroyed Flaco’s exhibit endangered Flaco’s safety and are ultimately responsible for Flaco’s death,” the zoo said in a statement.
Flaco was rescued by the zoo in 2010 when he was less than a year old. The owl was reputed to be the only owl of its kind living in the wild in North America, leading to widespread fears that it might not ultimately survive long in captivity.
During the year and nearly three weeks he spent in the wild, he demonstrated his ability to catch rats in the park. And his flight ability was also enhanced.
The zoo tried to recapture Flaco using bait and recordings of the eagle owl’s calls. These tricks intrigued Flaco, but he was never fooled, and the zoo abandoned the effort within weeks of the owl’s escape.
Flaco spent most of his time in nature in and near Central Park, as well as other locations throughout Manhattan. The Central Park Zoo said staff monitored him during his days of freedom and were “ready to retrieve him if he showed any signs of difficulty or distress.”
Owls like Flaco are mostly solitary and usually only interact with other animals during the breeding season, leading some to speculate that the bird was looking for love whenever it left Central Park.
As recently as November, Flaco spent a sunny afternoon in Central Park, yawning, stretching and preening, largely ignoring the large crowd.
“We would like to thank the many people who have reached out to us over the past year for all their support and concerns and updates about Flaco’s health,” the Central Park Zoo said Friday. “We are especially grateful to the Wild Bird Foundation staff for their quick response in trying to help Flaco.”
News of the owl’s death sparked an intense reaction on social media. More than 1,000 users reposted the zoo’s announcement about Flaco’s death on X (formerly known as Twitter).
“This is an incalculable loss,” said one comment summarizing the sentiments of many on the platform. “We are so grateful to everyone who came out to witness Flaco’s incredible journey.”
Another X user suggested demolishing the building Flaco crashed into.
The eagle owl is one of the large species. Flaco’s wingspan is reported to have been approximately 6 feet (1.8 meters).
October 2020, ornithologist Stephen Ambrose I wrote it on LinkedIn There was evidence that light glare from urban building windows could temporarily blind owls, especially at night, increasing the risk of them colliding with buildings.
