Flaco the escaped zoo owl can remain in the wilds of NYC

NEW YORK — For two weeks, an owl that escaped from New York’s Central Park Zoo has flown from treetop to treetop, eluding capture and amassing legions of fans worried about its ability to survive alone in the big city. “We are going to continue monitoring Flaco and his activities and to be prepared to resume recovery efforts if he shows any sign of difficulty or distress,” Zoo officials said in a statement. Officials acknowledged that recovering Flaco had proven difficult, especially “since he has been very successful at hunting and consuming the abundant prey in the park.” The Eurasian eagle-owl is one of the larger owl species, with a wingspan of up to 79 inches, according to the Wildlife Conservation Society. He’s made a remarkable move from being a captive owl to being in the wild much faster than anyone would have expected,” said David Barrett, who runs the birding Twitter accounts Manhattan Bird Alert, Brooklyn Bird Alert and Bronx Bird Alert. “He seems to be enjoying himself out there.” Eurasian eagle-owl’s aren’t native to North America, so Flaco would have to fly across the ocean to find his own kind in the wild.