Flaco (Eurasian eagle-owl): Difference between revisions

He was found dead in the courtyard of a building on New York’s Upper West Side on February 23.<ref name=":1">[https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/mar/26/flaco-owl-disease-poison New York’s Flaco the owl had fatal conditions before colliding into building]  The Guardian</ref> A postmortem revealed that Flaco had suffered traumatic injuries from colliding with a building.<ref name=":2">[https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/flaco-the-owl-cause-of-death-central-park-zoo/ Flaco had rat poison, pigeon virus in his system when he died, Central Park Zoo says] CBS New York</ref> However, the owl also had severe underlying conditions that would have likely killed him regardless.<ref>[https://www.nbcnews.com/news/animal-news/flaco-owl-whose-death-shocked-nyc-evidence-bird-herpes-rodenticides-rcna145030 Flaco, owl whose death shocked NYC, had evidence of bird herpes and rodenticides] NBC News</ref> He was exposed to four different rat poisons commonly used to control New York’s booming rodent population.<ref name=":1" /> Additionally, Flaco had contracted a severe case of pigeon herpesvirus from eating feral pigeons.<ref name=":2" /> This virus can be fatal in birds of prey, causing severe tissue damage and inflammation in several organs.<ref name=":1" /> Flaco’s death underscores the hazards faced by wild birds, especially in an urban setting.<ref name=":1" />