On February 3rd, a jailbreak occurred in Manhattan—it was a Eurasian eagle owl named Flaco. Investigators don’t know the identity of his vandal accomplice who shredded the netting of his enclosure, and the search for witnesses is ongoing.
In all seriousness, Central Park Zoo’s Flaco had lived his whole adult life in captivity, and the zoo workers were “stressed, and frustrated [sic], and tired” trying to capture him.
But as continued observation of the bird noted his increasing confidence in traversing Central Park’s vast acreage.
“Several days ago, we observed him successfully hunting, catching, and consuming prey,” a statement from Central Park Zoo read on February 12th. “We have seen a rapid improvement in his flight skills and ability to confidently maneuver around the park.”
“Birders have been out in force and there are a lot of eyes on Flaco,” the statement continued. “We are confident that we will be able to track his movements as he continues to explore and expand his range. We thank everyone who is pulling for the eagle owl’s safe recovery and understand the importance of good birding etiquette while observing and photographing him.”
One such birding group, Manhattan Bird Alert, has been tweeting updates on his position.
After a spirited hooting performance before flyout, Flaco went on a sequence of long flights to explore and hunt new territory, eventually landing on the lawn on the north side of Central Park's Sheep Meadow on a dark, moonless Monday night. ❤️🦉 pic.twitter.com/6MFQ03sGAA
— Manhattan Bird Alert (@BirdCentralPark) February 14, 2023
Eurasian eagle owls are one of the largest species of owl, possessing a wingspan of 5-6 feet.
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The New York Times wrote that “by Sunday, his survival instincts had kicked in enough for the Wildlife Conservation Society, which operates the zoo, to say it would ease the intensity of its effort to retrieve him. He had earned the chance to live without 24-hour scrutiny.”
Flaco, the escaped Eurasian eagle-owl, spent a lot of time inside the grounds of @centralparkzoo last night. Zoo staff tried to retrieve him but he was uncooperative. Pictured here looking cheeky in the crane exhibit. (Long exposure taken from outside the zoo).#birds #birdcpp pic.twitter.com/djYWx4eJ3s
— David Lei (@davidlei) February 8, 2023
If they were given the opportunity, they would likely retrieve him, perhaps for reintroduction in the wild thanks to his newfound survival skills. Manhattan is no place for a rodent eater; too much rat poison is used in the city for Flaco to remain safe for long.
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Go Flaco-Freedom for Flaco in Central Park!