Feb. 17, 2023, New York – The following statement was issued by the Central Park Zoo:

“Last evening, Central Park Zoo staff attempted to lure Flaco, the Eurasian eagle owl, with bait and recordings of eagle owl calls. Though he showed some interest in the calls, the attempt was unsuccessful. As we noted previously, efforts at recovering the bird have proven more difficult since he has been very successful at hunting and consuming the abundant prey in the park.

“We are going to continue monitoring Flaco and his activities and to be prepared to resume recovery efforts if he shows any sign of difficulty or distress. We will issue additional updates if there is a change in the eagle owl’s status or our plan changes.”

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Previous media statements:

Update from Feb. 12, 2023

Original statement from Feb. 3, 2023