New York Metropolis’s favourite feathered neighbor, Flaco the Eurasian eagle-owl, handed away on February 23, 2024, after colliding with a constructing within the Higher West Facet. Residents all through NYC loved recorded sightings of the 13-year-old hen via footage and movies shared on social media earlier than Flaco’s life got here to a tragic finish in what might have been a preventable accident.
Why Flaco Captivated Folks From Across the World
Flaco made headlines final February when he escaped from the Central Park Zoo after an unknown vandal broken his exhibit. Regardless of a number of makes an attempt to recapture him, he remained free within the metropolis till his accident. Whereas there have been issues for the hen’s security outdoors the zoo, he survived within the metropolis longer than anticipated.
His resilience received the owl hundreds of thousands of followers worldwide. To many, he represented freedom and residing the life that he desired. Artists devoted items to him, whereas birdwatchers captured sightings of him and posted them on social media.
Might Flaco’s Demise Have Been Prevented?
Some specialists surprise if ingesting a contaminated rat, amongst different components, might have contributed to Flaco’s premature passing. The incident has introduced extra consciousness to the recurring concern of hen security in giant cities. NYC Audubon estimates that 90,000 to 230,000 birds die yearly as a consequence of constructing collisions. The excellent news is that there are cheap choices to guard our feathered buddies. Chook specialists suggest marking home windows with dot patterns or utilizing exterior insect screens to stop birds from colliding with the glass.
New York Metropolis handed a regulation to mandate bird-friendly supplies in new development in 2019, however guaranteeing that present buildings make extra efforts to stop related accidents continues to be obligatory.
Flaco could also be gone, however he can be remembered fondly by the numerous folks he impressed.