It’s great news for Flaco, the beautiful Eurasian eagle-owl who escaped the Central Park Zoo two weeks ago. Zoo officials have decided to drop efforts to capture him. Flaco will remain free!
It had been on February 2 when vandals had cut through the stainless steel wire mesh at the owl’s enclosure. Flaco immediately flew away, but stayed in the vicinity of Fifth Avenue where authorities tried to capture him, but this wily owl was having none of it. Then came a flurry of winged activity on Twitter as sightings of Flaco, thankfully distracting the ongoing political insults and Elon Musk barbs.
Then came the petition to keep Flaco free!
For the past two weeks, Flaco has had our attention as he flew from treetop to treetop, and even though some people were worried about his safety and the ability to hunt for food and being alone, it appears as if his instincts to hunt for prey have kicked in successfully. Witnesses have seen him deftly fly down to retrieve a rat or two for his meals.
Officials from the zoo have promised to keep a sharp eye on the handsome owl to make sure he maintains his healthful appearance and appetite, and Flaco seems to be enjoying his independence.
When Flaco first escaped, he had not been eating and avid observers called him “skinny” – hence the name Flaco which means “skinny” in Spanish. But after numerous reports of the owl coughing up fur and bones – all signs of some hearty rat eating, he’s become quite a star and people rush to catch a glimpse of him perched high atop some of Central Park’s most beautiful trees.
Eurasian eagle-owls are not native to North America, and when Flaco arrived in New York City in 2010, he was only a year old. Although owls are mostly solitary and only get together during mating season, it is still up in the air if Flaco is going to be lonely.
No one has been arrested for cutting his enclosure. New York Police continue to investigate.
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