Flaco, NYC's celebrated owl, done in by rat poison and pigeon herpes: necropsy
Flaco, New York’s beloved Eurasian Eagle-Owl escapee, was suffering from a severe pigeon virus and high levels of rat poison when he flew into a building last monthThe report adds another bleak layer to Flaco’s tragic story of freedom, isolation and survival in the wilds of New York City. News of his death last month prompted an outpouring of memorials, works of art, poems and commemorative tattoos.
Additionally, the vets found that Flaco had exposure to four different anticoagulant rodent poisons commonly used in New York City. “Flaco’s severe illness and death are ultimately attributed to a combination of factors — infectious disease, toxin exposures, and traumatic injuries — that underscore the hazards faced by wild birds, especially in an urban setting,” the Central Park Zoo said in the statement.
Still-unidentified vandals cut open Flaco’s enclosure at the zoo on Feb. 2, 2023, allowing him to fly out into the open air of the city. After early attempts at capturing him were unsuccessful, the zoo stopped trying – and Flaco learned to hunt and live in Manhattan,Barry, a female owl, lived in Central Park and died in Sept. 2021 after being hit by a truck. The levels of rodenticide in her system may have impaired her flying abilities, according to a report obtained by THE CITY.Brittany Kriegstein covers all breaking news around New York City, with a focus on crime and gun violence.
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