Flaco the New York Owl has died

[Catherine]

Flaco is a Eurasian Eagle Owl. He lived in Central Park Zoo for 13 years. A year ago someone vandalized his enclosure allowing him to escape.
For a year he has lived wild in New York City. He seemed to be doing okay. There were plenty of rats for him to eat.
The zoo was not able to bring him in.
Sadly he has flown into a building and been killed. He is much loved in New York and people are devastated.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024...g-building

This is so sad. Flaco suffered the fate of so many birds in big cities. The bright lights and reflective windows of big buildings cause the death of many birds.
Many in New York are feeling the loss badly. Who ever vandalized his enclosure is ultimately responsible for Flaco's death. It is still hoped that they will catch whoever did this.

RIP Flaco. You were much loved.

[Catherine]

There is news about Flaco the owl. Necropsy results show that he had 4 kinds of rat poison in his system and he was infected with a pigeon virus.
Life in New York city was no so good for him.

https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/fla...-park-zoo/

This really highlights the dangers of using poison for pest control. It doesn't just kill the target animal. Once the poison is in the environment, it just keeps on killing. Also, whoever released Flaco from the zoo where he was safely cared for, basically signed a death warrant for him. He was going to die from any number of causes. A building strike killed him, but the poison would have killed him soon anyhow.