From NY Historical Museum

Flaco the Eurasian eagle-owl captured the hearts of New Yorkers from the moment he escaped the Central Park Zoo until his death in February 2024. Many saw him as a symbol of freedom and, given the odds of survival stacked against him, as a true New Yorker embodying pluck and resilience. The Year of Flaco looks back at the year the raptor took to Manhattan’s skies, learned to hunt, and peered into apartment windows.

In addition to photographs and video, this exhibition features letters, drawings, and objects left at a memorial beneath Flaco’s favorite oak tree. It also examines the dangers faced by birds in the urban environment, the legislation inspired by Flaco’s death, and what we can do to be better neighbors to the animals in our midst. A special related installation in the Audubon’s Birds of America Focus Gallery showcases owls, primarily those found in New York.

I’m going to have to try to get to see this. If you’ll be in NYC from Feb 7 - June 6, you can see some of the tributes to the owl that captivated the country with its bittersweet journey.

I do hope they put a statue of him by his favorite roosting tree in Central Park as many have asked for. We could also ban the second-generation rat poison that killed him, but the statue is probably more likely as it’s the lesser of two inconveniences.

  • anon6789@lemmy.worldOP
    6·
    11 months ago

    From Wikipedia

    Flaco (March 15, 2010 – February 23, 2024) was a male Eurasian eagle-owl who escaped his long-time enclosure at Central Park Zoo in New York City after someone cut the protective netting in February 2023. Flaco subsequently resided in and around Central Park. His escape attracted significant public and press attention, especially as he was of a species not native to North America. There were concerns for his ability to feed himself after being captive for so long, since he had not previously needed to fly or hunt, but he was seen successfully catching and eating rats a week after his escape. Attempts to recapture Flaco failed, and a petition circulated advocating that he remain free. Zoo officials ceased attempts to recapture him once it became clear he was eating on a regular basis and his flying skills improved.

    Though he was able to hunt, there were lingering concerns about potential dangers in the park, like rodenticide. He remained in Central Park for nine months, eventually wandering to nearby buildings and neighborhoods in Lower Manhattan. In February 2024, one year after his escape, Flaco died after colliding with a building in Manhattan’s Upper West Side.