The story of Flaco, an owl that escaped from its habitat at the Central Park Zoo, has taken the world by storm. New Yorkers.

The cage of a Eurasian owl was vandalized on February 2, causing its feathered occupant, who had been in it since 2010, to fly free.

Since then, he has been seen resting mostly on bare tree branches in Central Park, taking night flights and even grabbing a rat as a daytime snack.

Flaco loves his nightly job fighting rats for the Harlem Peace Restoration Project in Central Park. (Long exposure at a distance in the dark using ambient light only.) pic.twitter.com/adE2gu8tUn

— Manhattan Bird Alert (@BirdCentralPark) March 7, 2023

Park experts have repeatedly tried to capture Flacos and return him to a safe cage.

But in vain. He seems to prefer the chaos of New York City so much that on February 17, news from the zoo revealed that rescue operations are being “frozen” as Flacco proves he can hunt and survive in the “wild”.

Flaco, the Eurasian eagle owl since yesterday, heard him hoot several times. #bird #wild nature #WildlifeWednesday pic.twitter.com/SPvxKRlxQz

— Rosalie QD (@mitzgami) February 22, 2023

“We will continue to monitor Flacos and his activities and stand ready to resume rescue efforts if he shows any signs of embarrassment or discomfort,” the statement said.

For those who are worried about Flaco, @central parkzooescaped Eurasian eagle owl, our rangers are on the job! This morning we spotted an owl in Hallett Nature Reserve and found Flaco healthy and crouched in a tree. We ask visitors to the park to give a place so that it can be saved. pic.twitter.com/9hlsSzCWAv

— New York City Parks (@NYCParks) February 3, 2023

For a month now, Flaco has become the attraction of passers-by, as well as ornithologists from all over the world, who rushed to the area with binoculars and cameras to capture the huge bird.

With a wingspan of 1.8 meters, this species of owl is one of the largest in the world. It weighs between 1.5 and 4 kg, with females usually being larger than males.

This beautiful Eurasian eagle owl named Flaco is currently living a free life. @CentralParkNYC after someone vandalized and reportedly released him from his enclosure last night at the Central Park Zoo. I hope he gets better and gets rescued as soon as possible. #bird #birdwatching pic.twitter.com/WKEQoknume

— Rosalie QD (@mitzgami) February 3, 2023

“The Eurasian owl is a sensational bird! This is a huge owl, one of the largest in the world in terms of size, wingspan and mass, ”explains the doctor. Andrew Farnsworth, Senior Scientist at Cornell University Ornithology Laboratory.

“All owls attract people’s attention because of their predominantly nocturnal lifestyle, which makes them interesting to watch. “Seeing it on the sidewalk or in the grass in the middle of a major metropolitan area is definitely a wow moment,” he adds.

Short Clip Flaco, @central parkzooan escaped Eurasian eagle owl window-shopping outside @Bergdorfs last night. Flaco flew into Central Park this morning, where zoo staff and rangers are watching him.#birds #birdwatching #wild nature #nature #bird pic.twitter.com/G8zvMugXK8

— David Lei (@davidlei) February 3, 2023

Farnsworth says that while Flacco has made significant strides on his own, captive owls in zoos usually don’t have the experience or skills to hunt on their own.

Source: CNN