This Friday marked one year since Flaco, the popular owl who has gained the attention and affection of many New Yorkers, took to the streets.
In February 2023, an unknown person allowed Flaco to escape from the place where he was kept at the Central Park Zoo.
At first, great alarm was generated among his followers, since it was feared that Flaco could not survive on his own since he had always been under the care and attention of the Zoo workers.
Time passed, however, and Flaco remained alive. Throughout the year, countless photographers and social media sites have followed Flaco’s path through various parts of the city. At some point the owl was in lower Manhattan, other times he returned to Central Park and has also been around the park on the Upper West Side.
“It will land in one of those places and hoot for hours,” said birder David Barrett, quoted by Jillian Jorgensen of our sister station NY1.
Barrett runs the Twitter account @BirdCentralPark, better known as Manhattan Bird Alert, and is one of the birders whose almost daily photographs have kept Flaco fans around the world engrossed in the story of freedom and survival of the famous owl.
“Flaco, the Euraisian-Eagle Owl, spent much of his summer of 2023 in a large, leafy elm tree that provided shade and quiet rest in Central Park North Meadow. This elm tree offered incredible views of Flaco and his pre-flight routine. 🦉 â ¤ï¸ ðŸŒ³”, Barret wrote in one of his many messages on social networks about Flaco.
Flaco the Eurasian Eagle-Owl spent much of his 2023 summer in a large, leafy elm tree that gave him shade and peaceful rest in the Central Park North Meadow. This elm offered amazing views of Flaco and his pre-flyout routine. ð¦ â¤ï¸ ð³ pic.twitter.com/meRpPdd8Sl
â Manhattan Bird Alert (@BirdCentralPark) February 1, 2024
Flaco is 13 years old and had lived his entire life in captivity. He had never flown very far, much less hunted for food. The zoo tried to catch him, but Skinny didn’t take the bait.
“🎉🎉🎉One year ago today, Flaco escaped from his enclosure at the Central Park Zoo and began his remarkable adventure. I took this photo a week later, when his survival was very much in doubt and the zoo “I was actively trying to recapture him. 🦉”, reads a message on the Above 96th social media account, where Flaco’s steps around the city have also been closely followed.
ðððOne year ago today, Flaco escaped his Central Park Zoo enclosure and began his remarkable adventure. I took this photo a week later, when his survival was very much in doubt and the zoo was actively trying to re-capture him. ð¦ð§µ#Skinny #CentralPark #birdcpp pic.twitter.com/1BVLnDebbz
â Above_96th (@Above96th) February 2, 2024
At some point last year, the Central Park Zoo decided that since Flaco knew how to survive, attempts to trap him had to stop.
Barrett claims that Flaco is the only Eurasian-Eagle owl that moves freely in the entire United States and therefore has no one to mate with – although he did not have a mate at the Zoo either.
“He’s living a life of purpose,” Barrett added of Flaco.
2024-02-02 17:31:00
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