The symbol of New York - the eagle owl Flaco - died due to rat poison

Eagle owl Flaco, who after Escape from Central Park Zoo more than a year enchanted New Yorkers with their adventures, perished. As reported by New York Post, after an autopsy, a dangerous virus and a toxic cocktail of four rat poisons were found in the bird’s body.

Central Park Zoo has released the results of a necropsy on a 13-year-old eagle owl that flew into a building on the Upper West Side and died on February 23.

Flaco had “severe pigeon herpesvirus,” caused by eating wild pigeons, which veterinary pathologists at the Bronx Zoo said were a regular part of the bird's diet. In addition, he was exposed to four different anticoagulant rodenticides commonly used for rat control in New York City.

In the months following his escape, Flaco was often seen in and around Central Park, hunting rats and unknowingly poisoning himself with every bite. The bird was likely very sick and emaciated when it flew into the building on West 89th Street in Manhattan, zoo officials said.

“These factors, even without traumatic injury, proved debilitating and ultimately fatal. It is possible that they predisposed him to fly into or fall from a building,” the zoo said.

On the subject: New York's wild animals: how to handle them safely

“Flaco's severe illness and death are ultimately attributed to a combination of factors - infectious disease, exposure to toxins and traumatic injuries. They highlight the dangers wild birds face, especially in urban environments.”

Who is to blame

The Wildlife Conservation Society blamed Flaco's death on those who released him.

“The vandal who damaged the Flaco exhibit endangered the safety of the bird and is therefore responsible for its death,” the organization said in a statement.

Although Flaco grew up in captivity, he lacked for nothing in the safety of his enclosure as all his needs were met by the zoo team. He lived a calm, predictable life - exactly what many city dwellers dream of.

But, ironically, after liberation, the concrete jungle became another, much more dangerous prison, which ultimately proved too inhospitable for the majestic bird. Once free, Flaco was forced to fend for himself in a frightening and unfamiliar environment, where hidden dangers lurked around every corner.