Flaco, the eagle owl famous for escaping from the Central Park Zoo, had severe pigeon virus and rat poison in his body when he died last month.
Veterinary pathologists at the Bronx Zoo performed an autopsy on the beloved owl, which died Feb. 23 after colliding with an Upper West Side building, and found that Flaco was exposed to a number of deadly threats. It turned out that
“Flaco's severe illness and death are ultimately believed to be due to a combination of factors, including infection, toxin exposure, and trauma, and the dangers faced by wild birds, especially in urban environments,” Central Park Zoo said in a statement. It highlights sexuality.” Monday.
Zoologists had previously determined the owl's death was due to trauma, a day after the owl was fatally injured when it crashed into a building. The latest findings from Bronx pathologists show that his two underlying conditions “can be debilitating and ultimately fatal even in the absence of trauma, such as jumping into or falling from a building.” “It may have been a predisposing factor.”
The pigeon herpes virus found in Flaco has also been found in other pigeons and owls in New York City, the zoo said in a statement. In Flaco's case, the infection left severe tissue damage and inflammation in many of his organs.
What happened in Flaco's final hours is of paramount interest to fans across the city who cheered on Flaco as he defended himself against all odds even though he was in captivity. . Police are still seeking the arrest of the person who let him escape from his cage at the Central Park Zoo a year ago.
An autopsy revealed that Flaco was in good physical condition and had successfully caught prey, even though he had no hunting experience since coming to the zoo as a novice 13 years ago. A necropsy report released Saturday said the owl weighed 1.89 kilograms (4.1 pounds), down just 2 percent from when it was last measured at the zoo.
The Central Park Zoo placed the blame squarely on the person who cut Flaco's enclosure open. However, they are investigating the disease as a possible factor and plan to release an update in about two weeks.
One of Central Park's most prominent residents took an unscheduled flight late Thursday, sparking an overnight standoff between zoo staff and Flaco the eagle owl.
Tributes poured in from his fans over the weekend. So was speculation about which of the city's many threats to wildlife might have contributed to his death.
Flaco's fans, who had heard him jeer each night on the Upper West Side, reported that he had become quiet in the days before his death, and theorized that he had been ill.
