Flaco's Flight

It has been almost a month since Eurasian eagle owl Flaco escaped his enclosure at the Central Park Zoo after the mesh was cut by a vandal.  Efforts to recapture the bird have so far proven unsuccessful, though the bird was recently been observed eating prey that it has captured, so at least immediate fears of starvation are less-pressing.  It's always impressive when a zoo-born animal is able to re-adapt to a life in the wild, even in such an unnatural habitat as Manhattan and feed itself - it reminds me of the potential for reintroduction programs down the road.  

At the same time, I would hardly call this a success.  The bird's welfare is likely severely compromised, it could predate native raptors, potentially hybridize with wild great horned owls, get hit by a car, or eat a rat that has been poisoned and die terribly.

An Update on the Eurasian Eagle Owl

What frustrates me the most is that some idiots out there might just see this as a success and take it as an invitation to release more animals into the wild with even worse results.  The criminal investigation into the vandalism continues, and I hope that whoever is responsible for it is found and prosecuted soon - before they inspire more copycats.