New York: Escaped owl "Flaco" is allowed to stay in Central Park

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May continue to live in Central Park: the Eurasian eagle-owl Flaco

Photo: Seth Little/AP

For two weeks, an owl that escaped from New York's Central Park Zoo has been flying from treetop to treetop in the park.

At the beginning of February, vandals cut through the stainless steel grid on the bird's enclosure in the zoo, as reported by American media.

At first, Flaco made his rounds through Upper Manhattan, but didn't stray too far from the park.

He flew to nearby Fifth Avenue, where police officers tried to catch him, but were unsuccessful.

Recently, the zoo staff tried to lure Flaco with bait and recordings of owl calls.

He showed some interest, but didn't fall for the trick.

This is reported by the AP news agency.

Owl feeds on rats in Central Park

In the first few days after his escape, it seemed as if he would live up to his name, which means "thin" in Spanish.

Because he wasn't seen eating.

But when he started coughing up fur and bones, the excitement was high - proof that he had hunted and fed.

Authorities acknowledged that finding Flaco was difficult, especially as he hunted very successfully and ate the abundant prey in the park, the AP report said.

Previously, his fans watching him in the park had worried about whether the Eurasian eagle-owl could survive alone in the big city: would Flaco starve because he hadn't learned to hunt in captivity?

Now the answer seems to be a resounding no: Flaco is said to have regained his killer instinct.

According to media reports, he threw himself down from his high seat in the treetops to eat the rats in the park.

Those responsible for the zoo then announced that they would suspend the rescue operation, at least for the time being, but would keep a close eye on the owl's health.

"We will continue to monitor Flaco and his activities and be prepared to resume rescue efforts if he shows any signs of trouble or distress," zoo officials said in a statement.

He captivated people wherever he went, including on the ice rink in the park.

Sightings piled up on Twitter, and the hashtag #freeflaco and an online petition for his release quickly gained momentum.

According to the Wildlife Conservation Society, the eagle owl is one of the larger owl species, with a wingspan of up to two meters.

They have large claws and distinctive ear tufts.

The eagle owl isn't native to North America, so Flaco would have to fly across the ocean to find its mates in the wild.

He was less than a year old when he came to the Central Park Zoo in 2010.

jpa/AP