Flaco, the Eurasian eagle owl who gained fame after dwelling free in New York Metropolis after escaping from captivity, was weakened by rat poison and a pigeon virus to the extent he would have died even when he had not fatally collided with a constructing earlier this 12 months, a postmortem has discovered.

Flaco was 13 years outdated when he was discovered useless within the courtyard of a constructing on New York’s Higher West Aspect on 23 February, with trauma accidents that recommended he had flown straight into the construction.

Nonetheless, a postmortem by zoo officers has discovered that the owl had extreme underlying situations that might have doubtless killed him regardless, and “could have predisposed him to flying into or falling from the constructing”.

The owl was uncovered to 4 totally different rat poisons generally used to regulate New York’s booming rodent inhabitants, the necropsy found, in addition to pigeon herpesvirus from consuming feral pigeons that had turn out to be a part of Flaco’s weight-reduction plan. Pigeons can carry the virus and stay wholesome, but it surely causes a deadly illness in birds of prey, resembling owls, as soon as they devour contaminated pigeons.

On prime of those situations, which can have completed off Flaco on their very own, the owl additionally had hint quantities of DDE, a breakdown product of the infamous pesticide DDT that was banned within the US within the Seventies attributable to its dangerous affect upon wildlife however which nonetheless persists within the surroundings at present. The DDE didn’t contribute to Flaco’s loss of life, nevertheless.

The viral an infection triggered extreme tissue injury and irritation in a number of organs, together with Flaco’s spleen, liver, bone marrow and mind, in line with the postmortem.

“Flaco’s extreme sickness and loss of life are finally attributed to a mixture of things – infectious illness, toxin exposures, and traumatic accidents – that underscore the hazards confronted by wild birds, particularly in an city setting,” the Wildlife Conservation Society, which manages zoos all through New York Metropolis, stated in a press release.

The loss of life of Flaco introduced an finish to a life that captivated many New Yorkers after the owl’s escape from the Central Park zoo in February 2023, after vandals tore a gap within the facet of his enclosure. These liable for the injury haven’t been caught by police.

Regardless of by no means having lived outdoors captivity, Flaco was recurrently seen swooping upon prey in New York’s Central Park, and was lauded for his capability to outlive among the many rats, trash and discarded pizza that garland the town.

He weighed 4.1lbs after loss of life, solely barely lighter than at his final recorded weight on the zoo.

Flaco’s loss of life prompted mourning in New York, with individuals inserting flowers and candles in shrines.

This article by Oliver Milman was first revealed by The Guardian on 26 March 2024. Lead Picture: Flaco the owl on 15 February 2023 in New York Metropolis. {Photograph}: Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis/Getty Pictures.

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