Flaco, the Eurasian eagle owl who escaped from New York City’s Central Park Zoo last year, has tragically died after crashing into a building in Manhattan. The owl was found unresponsive and pronounced dead by officials from the Wild Bird Fund after the incident on West 89th Street. Central Park Zoo staff then retrieved Flaco’s remains, which were taken to the Bronx Zoo for a necropsy.
Flaco had been rescued by the zoo in 2010 and was the only owl of his kind in the wild in North America. After escaping, he spent over a year in the wild and demonstrated his hunting skills by catching rats in Central Park. Despite attempts by the zoo to recapture him, Flaco continued to elude capture and spent most of his time in the park and around Manhattan.
The zoo believed that Flaco’s escape was a result of vandalism to his enclosure and expressed their hope that the responsible party would be held accountable. His death has sparked an outpouring of support and grief on social media, with many expressing sadness over the loss of the beloved owl. One user even suggested tearing down the building where Flaco crashed.
Despite his untimely death, Flaco’s journey in the wild captivated many and his story will be remembered by those who followed his adventures in Central Park. The Central Park Zoo expressed gratitude for the support and concern shown for Flaco throughout his time in the wild and thanked the Wild Bird Fund for their efforts to assist him.
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Photo credit www.theguardian.com