Owl Who Died After Escaping New York City Zoo Is Mourned by Busy Philipps and More Stars: ‘I’m Devastated’

Celebrities are mourning the death of the famous owl on social media.

Flaco the owl — who gained public attention after he escaped from New York’s Central Park Zoo in February 2023 after someone vandalized his cage and cut through the stainless steel mesh that kept him inside — died on Friday. He was 13 years old.

In a statement posted on social media, the Wild Bird Fund said Flaco, a Eurasian eagle-owl that had been flying around Manhattan since escaping from a zoo, was found “lying face down” and “unresponsive” in the backyard of an Upper West Side apartment building. Sid.

Initial examination of the bird suggests that it “collided with a window,” which may have caused its death. An upcoming autopsy by the Wildlife Conservation Society will determine if there is any other underlying cause of his death.

Flaco, the escaped owl from the Central Park Zoo, is still on the loose and is now looking for food in New York

Flaco the owl.

Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty

Following the sad news of Flac’s death, Busy Philipps, Elizabeth Banks and other stars joined New Yorkers in mourning.

“I’m actually devastated,” Philipps, 44, wrote in an Instagram post on Friday, with a screenshot of a social media post about the owl’s death.

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Banks, 50, shared a video with Flac in a gallery on Instagram.

“I’ve been a bit obsessed with seeing this amazing Flaco owl whenever I’ve visited NYC after we spotted him last February (along with a world of photographers)” Hunger Games the star wrote in her caption. “This is terrible, heartbreaking news.”

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The Wild Bird Fund said in an Instagram post that learning of Flac’s death was a “deeply sad day for all of us,” paying tribute to the bird’s many fans. “Like you, like all of New York, we are heartbroken,” they wrote.

Per The Washington PostThe Central Park Zoo released its own statement on Flacco’s death, expressing its desire to bring the person who destroyed the owl’s cage to justice.

“The vandal who damaged Flacco’s exhibit compromised the bird’s safety and was ultimately responsible for his death. We remain hopeful that the NYPD, who are investigating the vandalism, will eventually make an arrest,” the zoo said.

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Source: HIS Education