New York mourns the death of beloved owl Flaco

Flacco, the Eurasian owl who captured the hearts of New Yorkers a year ago after escaping from the Central Park Zoo, died Friday after colliding with a building.

“We regret to report this Flaco, the Eurasian The owl was discovered missing from the Central Park Zoo after its exhibit was vandalized just over a year ago, dead after an apparent collision with a building on West 89th Street in Manhattan,” the Wildlife Conservation Society said in a statement. a statement Friday.

“The fallen owl was reported to the Wild Bird Fund (WBF) by people in the building. WBF staff responded quickly, retrieved the unresponsive owl and pronounced him dead a short time later. WBF notified zoo staff who took the bird and transported it to the Bronx Zoo for a necropsy.”

Flaco spent eight years at the Central Park Zoo, where he was one of the most popular exhibits. Eurasian owls, usually native to parts of Europe and Russia, are the largest species of bird, with a wingspan of up to six feet. However, in February 2023, an unknown person cut through the mesh of Flaco's enclosure, allowing the owl to escape.

“The vandal who destroyed Flaco's exhibit compromised the bird's safety and is ultimately responsible for its death,” the Wildlife Conservation Society added. “We remain hopeful that the NYPD, which is investigating the vandalism, will eventually make an arrest.”

While Flacco's escape from the zoo and eventual settlement in Central Park captivated New Yorkers and became a social media sensation – he had his own (unofficial) Twitter accountand New York City Mayor Eric Adams called him “one of New York's flyest” — his unexpected release also significantly reduced the owl's life expectancy: Eurasian owls in captivity can live up to 60 years, while the same bird in the wild usually lives 10 to 20 years, CNN reported. Flacco reached 14 before he died on Friday.

“This has been a deeply sad day for all of us at the Wild Bird Fund. We were only hoping to see Flaco wild dive off the top of our local water tower, never at the clinic,” the Wild Bird Fund tweeted. “Our initial examination and information from the scene indicated that Flaco collided with a window. Whether there was an underlying cause, such as myocide, we don't know yet.”

(Another famous New York owl named Barry died in 2021 after being hit by a car, although an autopsy found the bird had high concentrations of rat poison in its system, which contributed to its death. The New York Times mentionted.)

Actor Lou Diamond Phillips he tweeted, “Sown. Flaco was an inspiration. His persistence and will are pure joy. Something wild and free and determined to persevere. Just seeing his pictures made me happy. I know many New Yorkers felt the same way. Forever Soar, Flaco.”