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brooklynite

(93,840 posts)
Wed Mar 22, 2023, 09:48 PM Mar 2023

What Should Be Done About Flaco, the Eurasian Eagle-Owl Loose in New York?

Audubon Society

All eyes are on New York City’s latest avian celebrity: Flaco the Owl. In February, the Eurasian Eagle-Owl, a large species native to Europe and Asia, escaped his enclosure in the Central Park Zoo after an act of vandalism. News of his escape quickly spread, and almost immediately Flaco became a star of the local birding scene, attracting crowds of birders wherever he has been spotted. Despite initial concerns that he would not be able to feed himself, the owl has been hunting and living alongside native wildlife in Manhattan’s Central Park for more than a month. This success has led a cohort of Flaco fans to argue that he should be allowed to continue to live freely.

But in an urban setting, Flaco, who previously spent his entire life in captivity, faces life-threatening risks—from rat poison in his diet to collisions with vehicles or buildings. He also could potentially harm other wildlife in the park by preying on native birds, which he far outsizes. Many conservationists and raptor experts argue it is better for him and his surroundings if he returns to his “home” in the zoo.

The saga started on February 2 at 8:30 p.m., when Central Park Zoo staffers found Flaco missing from his enclosure, which is “the size of a bus stop,” Gothamist reported. Vandals had cut a hole in the enclosure's stainless steel mesh large enough for Flaco to slip out, according to a statement from the zoo, which is run by the Bronx-based nonprofit Wildlife Conservation Society. The culprits have not been identified as of March 6, the police say.

Later that evening, passersby spotted Flaco exploring Manhattan’s busy Upper East Side neighborhood, which is next to his home of 13 years. He spent some time on the sidewalk near the Sherry-Netherland Hotel on 5th Avenue, about 380 yards from the zoo, before flying south, according to the NYPD’s 19th Precinct. Onlookers then located him perched on a tree near the luxury department store Bergdorf Goodman before he flew back to Central Park. Since then, Flaco has spent most of his time in and around the park, hopping from one tree to another in forested areas, such as the Hallett Sanctuary at its south end and near the Loch, a narrow waterway in its northern region.

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What Should Be Done About Flaco, the Eurasian Eagle-Owl Loose in New York? (Original Post) brooklynite Mar 2023 OP
He needs to be someplace he can actually fly. Phoenix61 Mar 2023 #1
I think they've pretty much given up trying to recapture him. brooklynite Mar 2023 #2
poor owl...be safe BlueWaveNeverEnd Mar 2023 #3
I wonder how they could catch him. Emile Mar 2023 #4
Find Flaco a mate and turn her loose in the Park. Hermit-The-Prog Mar 2023 #5

Phoenix61

(16,950 posts)
1. He needs to be someplace he can actually fly.
Thu Mar 23, 2023, 02:11 AM
Mar 2023

It doesn’t sound like they have an enclosure anywhere near big enough for that. Time to consider rehoming him.

Hermit-The-Prog

(33,021 posts)
5. Find Flaco a mate and turn her loose in the Park.
Thu Mar 23, 2023, 06:36 AM
Mar 2023

Later, we can introduce whatever predators control Eurasian Eagle-Owl populations.

New Yorkers will deal with whatever.

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