Current:Home > NewsCelebrity owl Flaco dies a year after becoming beloved by New York City for zoo escape-DB Wealth Institute B2 Expert Reviews
Celebrity owl Flaco dies a year after becoming beloved by New York City for zoo escape
View Date:2024-12-24 00:39:27
NEW YORK (AP) — Flaco, the Eurasian eagle-owl who escaped from New York City’s Central Park Zoo and became one of the city’s most beloved celebrities as he flew around Manhattan, has died, zoo officials announced Friday.
A little over one year after he was freed from his cage at the zoo in a criminal act that has yet to be solved, Flaco appears to have collided with an Upper West Side building, the zoo said in a statement.
“The vandal who damaged Flaco’s exhibit jeopardized the safety of the bird and is ultimately responsible for his death,” the statement said. “We are still hopeful that the NYPD which is investigating the vandalism will ultimately make an arrest.”
Staff from the Wild Bird Fund, a wildlife rehabilitation center, responded to the scene and declared Flaco dead shortly after the collision. He was taken to the Bronx Zoo for a necropsy.
“We hoped only to see Flaco hooting wildly from the top of our local water tower, never in the clinic,” the World Bird Fund wrote in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Flaco’s time in the sky began on Feb. 2, 2023, when someone breached a waist-high fence and slipped into the Central Park Zoo. Once inside, they cut a hole through a steel mesh cage, freeing the owl that had arrived at the zoo as a fledgling 13 years earlier.
Since the zoo suspended efforts to re-capture Flaco in February 2023, there has been no public information about the crime.
Until now, Flaco had defied the odds, thriving in the urban jungle despite a lifetime in captivity. He became one of the city’s most beloved characters. By day he lounged in Manhattan’s courtyards and parks or perches on fire escapes. He spent his nights hooting atop water towers and preying on the city’s abundant rats.
He was known for turning up unexpectedly at New Yorkers’ windows and was tracked around the Big Apple by bird watchers. His death prompted an outpouring of grief on social media Friday night.
One of Flaco’s most dedicated observers, David Barrett, suggested a temporary memorial at the bird’s favorite oak tree in Central Park.
There, fellow birders could “lay flowers, leave a note, or just be with others who loved Flaco,” Barrett wrote in a post on X for the account Manhattan Bird Alert, which documented the bird’s whereabouts.
___
Associated Press Writer Stefanie Dazio in Los Angeles contributed.
veryGood! (18)
Related
- Deion Sanders doubles down on vow to 99-year-old Colorado superfan
- US women's basketball should draw huge Paris crowds but isn't. Team needed Caitlin Clark.
- Paris Olympics live updates: Rai Benjamin wins 400 hurdles; US women win 4x100 relay gold
- Missy Elliott has the most euphoric tour of the summer and this is why
- School workers accused of giving special needs student with digestive issue hot Takis, other abuse
- Marathon swimmer ends his quest to cross Lake Michigan after two days
- Julianne Hough reveals how Hayley Erbert's 'tragic' health scare affected their family
- Travel Like a Celeb With This Top Packing Hack Used by Kyle Richards, Alix Earle, Paige Desorbo & More
- Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul referee handled one of YouTuber's biggest fights
- Proof Jessica Biel Remains Justin Timberlake’s Biggest Fan
Ranking
- Sports are a must-have for many girls who grow up to be leaders
- A Roller Coaster Through Time: Revisiting Bitcoin's Volatile History with Neptune Trade X Trading Center4
- The Daily Money: Can you get cash from the Cash App settlement?
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Athletes' Parade
- Horoscopes Today, November 13, 2024
- Paris has beautifully meshed Olympics with city, shining new light on iconic spaces
- How this American in Paris will follow Olympic marathoners' footsteps in race of her own
- Is Debby's deluge causing your migraine? How barometric pressure can impact your day.
Recommendation
-
Oprah Winfrey denies being paid $1M for Kamala Harris rally: 'I was not paid a dime'
-
Olympic medals today: What is the medal count at 2024 Paris Games on Friday?
-
Venezuelan founder of voting machine company targeted by Trump allies is indicted on bribery charges
-
BMW recalls more than 100,000 cars due to overheating motor: See full list
-
Jake Paul's only loss led him to retool the team preparing him to face Mike Tyson
-
Shawn Mendes Reveals He Was About to Be a Father in New Single
-
Harvard rebuffs protests and won’t remove Sackler name from two buildings
-
Why Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco Are Sparking Engagement Rumors