Flaco, the Eurasian eagle-owl whose escape from the Central Park Zoo and subsequent life on the loose in Manhattan captured the public’s attention, died Friday night after apparently striking a building on the Upper West Side, officials said.
The Wildlife Conservation Society, which operates the zoo, said in a statement that Flaco had been found on the ground after hitting a building on West 89th Street.
Building residents contacted the Wild Bird Fund, a rescue organization, whose staff members responded quickly, retrieved him and declared him dead a short time later, the society said.
Zoo employees took him to the Bronx Zoo, where a necropsy will be performed to determine the cause of death.
He would have turned 14 next month.
Persons:
Flaco
Organizations:
Central Park Zoo, Wildlife Conservation Society, Bird Fund, Zoo, Bronx Zoo
Locations:
Manhattan