New York City lost a true legend last week. 💔 😢 Flaco, a beloved Eurasian Eagle Owl that captured the public’s attention when he escaped from the @centralparkzoo in February 2023, died on Friday after striking a building in Manhattan. He would have turned 14 next month. Flaco’s year as a free bird began on the evening of Feb. 2, 2023, when someone shredded the mesh on the modest enclosure where he had lived nearly his entire life. The police said in January that no arrests had been made and that the investigation was continuing. Flaco spent the remainder of his life out of captivity, hanging out in Central Park and roaming around Manhattan, according to local reports. Mourners gathered in Manhattan’s @centralparknyc on Saturday, February 24, where poems and flowers were placed at the foot of Flaco’s “favorite tree,” where the owl was frequently seen. Owlways and forever 🤎 #flaco #nyc #flacoowl #centralpark #nycowl #rip