Flaco (Eurasian eagle-owl)
Flaco was a male Eurasian eagle-owl who gained fame after escaping from his enclosure at the Central Park Zoo in New York City. He was born on March 15, 2010, and died on February 23, 2024. Flaco's escape gained significant attention, with efforts made to locate and ensure his well-being.[1]
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Flaco spent his early years in a North Carolina bird park.[1] He was later transferred to the Central Park Zoo.
Escape
Flaco escaped from his enclosure at the Central Park Zoo in New York City after someone vandalised the exhibit and cut its protective steel mesh cage. The incident occurred on February 2, 2023, when individuals gained unauthorised access to the zoo premises and created a hole in the cage, enabling Flaco to flee.[2]
Death
He was found dead in the courtyard of a building on New York’s Upper West Side on February 23, 2024.[3] A postmortem revealed that Flaco had suffered traumatic injuries from colliding with a building.[4] However, the owl also had severe underlying conditions that would have likely killed him regardless.[5] He was exposed to four different rat poisons commonly used to control New York’s booming rodent population.[3] Additionally, Flaco had contracted a severe case of pigeon herpesvirus from eating feral pigeons.[4] This virus can be fatal in birds of prey, causing severe tissue damage and inflammation in several organs.[3] Flaco’s death underscores the hazards faced by wild birds, especially in an urban setting.[3]
External links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Flaco (owl) Wikipedia
- ↑ Flaco, the owl that escaped from Central Park Zoo, is dead after hitting a building CNN
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 New York’s Flaco the owl had fatal conditions before colliding into building The Guardian
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Flaco had rat poison, pigeon virus in his system when he died, Central Park Zoo says CBS New York
- ↑ Flaco, owl whose death shocked NYC, had evidence of bird herpes and rodenticides NBC News