Bird watchers and animal lovers in New York City are grieving a very special feathered friend this week. In recent days, Flaco — a beloved Eurasian owl who escaped from the Central Park Zoo last year — has died, and many people are mourning such a big loss for the city. Refusing to be held down (or caught by those who tried to capture him and bring him back to the zoo after his escape), Flaco was big on exploring, and those who lived in NYC loved spotting him while he was out and about.
But even though it’s heartbreaking that Flaco’s time with us has come to an end, it’s both beautiful and inspiring to see the way that people are coming together to give him the kind of memorial that he deserves, which just so happens to have been set up at what is believed to have been his favorite oak tree.
@cbsnewsNew Yorkers gathered at “Flaco’s favorite oak” in Central Park over the weekend to memorialize the local owl celebrity who suddenly sided over the weekend after colliding into a building. #owl #centralpark #newyorkcity #manhattan
In this footage shared by CBS News’ official TikTok account on Sunday, February 24, we can see how people have made the trek over to Flaco’s favorite oak to pay their respects. Scattered on the ground around the tree are dozens of mementos in tribute to him, from bouquets of flowers to photos to drawings and even a poem written about him.
At the end of the video, we can even see a group of people who have gathered there. Flaco only had the chance to start flying free a year ago, but after seeing this, nobody could deny that he really made an impact.
According to an Instagram post from the Wild Bird fund, Flaco was found unresponsive in the courtyard of an apartment building on the Upper West Side earlier this week, with an exam showing that he had appeared to have collided with a window.
More about Flaco’s story
As multiple outlets including the New York Post reported, Flaco first escaped the Central Park Zoo in February 2023 after his coop had been vandalized.
After a two-week effort to capture him, wildlife experts were able to determine that it was safe for him to remain in the wild after his owl pellets revealed that he’d been able to hunt for rats, proving that he could feed himself. Though the zoo did continue monitoring him, from that point on, Flaco was a free bird until his untimely death.
Following a necropsy, the Wildlife Conservation Society determined that Flaco’s cause of death was due to “acute traumatic injury,” which meant that the theory he flew into a building or window was likely correct. His injuries were internal, with his body being in good condition when he was found and did not appear to have suffered any head trauma from his injury.
Flaco may have only been here for a short while, but it’s nice to know that he had the chance to live freely, if only for a year. There’s no doubt so many New Yorkers will be missing him, and his loss will be felt.
