The eagle owl Flaco, the favorite of all New York, who escaped from the zoo a year ago, has died.
'26.02.2024'
Alina Prikhodko
Eurasian eagle owl named Flako disappeared from the Central Park Zoo on February 2, 2023. As it turned out, the vandals cut the stainless steel mesh, and the eagle owl was freed.
After escaping from the zoo, Flaco ate rats, posed for photographs and attracted crowds of fans, almost like Alex the lion from the cartoon “Madagascar”. But, as reported Newsroom.wcs, the public's favorite, charismatic and impressive symbol of New York, Flaco the eagle owl, died.
Zoo staff found the departed bird sitting in a tree and stayed with it throughout the night. At dawn on February 3, she flew from a tree on Fifth Avenue into Central Park. After escaping from the zoo, Flaco ate rats, posed for photographs and gathered crowds of fans, almost like Alex the lion from the cartoon “Madagascar.”
Zoo officials said he died Feb. 23 after colliding with a building on West 89th Street. People in the building reported the incident to the Wild Bird Foundation (WBF). WBF staff quickly responded to the report, removed the unresponsive bird and pronounced it dead a short time later. WBF notified zoo staff, who picked up Flaco and took him to the Bronx Zoo for a necropsy.
“The vandal who damaged Flaco's exhibit compromised the safety of the bird and is ultimately responsible for its death. We remain hopeful that the NYPD, which is investigating the vandalism, will eventually make an arrest,” Wildlife Conservation Society officials said.
The city says goodbye to its idol
Zookeepers monitored the eagle owl throughout the year and were prepared to return it if it showed any signs of difficulty or distress. A city with beautiful skyscrapers turned out to be an unsuitable place for a wild and free bird that loves heights and speed. What exactly caused the tragedy is not yet known. The zoo will provide additional information once a necropsy is performed and test results are received.
The residents of the city fell in love with the eagle owl, and the news of the bird’s death hurt all his admirers. People bring flowers, drawings and simply come to Central Park, which has become Flaco's new home after ten years in a cage.
