Flaco (March 15, 2010 – February 23, 2024) was a male Eurasian eagle owl who escaped his long-time enclosure at Central Park Zoo in New York City after someone cut the protective netting in February 2023. Flaco subsequently took up residence in and around Central Park.
He became a popular attraction. He’s been on the loose for a year and was born in captivity. However, he had no problem surviving until he slammed into a building and died.
He moved his locations in the Park a few times.
In November 2023, Flaco ventured outside of Central Park for the first time since February. He was seen in a sculpture garden in the East Village neighborhood of Manhattan and, later, on the Lower East Side.
Zeynep Tufekci of The New York Times dubbed Flaco “the Ultimate New Yorker.”
Juliana Kim of NPR wrote, “Over time, Flaco became a sort of symbol for freedom and resilience.”
They had a memorial service for Flaco. Curtis Sliwa and his wife are animal lovers, and Curtis was not happy that his friend, host Sid Rosenberg, mocked the memorial on air. Sid thought Flaco [Joe Flacco] was being signed up for the Jets again and then realized it was only an owl.
So, jokingly, Sliwa said he would get even with those guys.
