Flaco, New York City's celebrity owl, was exposed to pigeon virus and rat poison before death

New York City’s celebrity owl Flaco was suffering from a terrible pigeon-borne unwellness and precocious levels of rat poison erstwhile he collapsed into a building and died past month, officials astatine nan Bronx Zoo said Monday.

The Eurasian eagle-owl was found dead successful a Manhattan courtyard connected Feb. 23, a small complete a twelvemonth aft he escaped a damaged enclosure astatine nan Central Park Zoo and began a life successful nan municipality wilds that captivated New Yorkers.

While an first autopsy showed nan origin of decease was trauma, further testing revealed a brace of important aesculapian conditions whitethorn person contributed to nan collision, zoo officials said.

Blood tests showed Flaco had been exposed to 4 different rat poisons and had a “severe” lawsuit of pigeon herpesvirus that had damaged his brain, liver, spleen, and different organs.

“These factors would person been debilitating and yet fatal, moreover without a traumatic injury,” nan zoo said successful a statement. “Flaco’s terrible unwellness and decease are yet attributed to a operation of factors — infectious disease, toxin exposures, and traumatic injuries — that underscore nan hazards faced by chaotic birds, particularly successful an municipality setting.”

After an chartless vandal snuck into nan zoo and trim his cage, Flaco spent his first days of state wrong Central Park, earlier venturing retired into nan Manhattan skyline. Though he had lived his full 13 years successful captivity, he quickly proved a proficient hunter, preying connected nan city’s abundant rat population.

But his state besides worried immoderate experts, who said he faced an array of threats successful nan city, including nan likelihood of consuming a poisoned rat.

In nan days earlier his death, Flaco had ceased his nightly hooting from nan city’s rooftops, prompting immoderate to fearfulness he was ill, according to David Barrett, a vertebrate enthusiast who runs a societal media page that documented nan owl’s movements.

“Though these results punctual america of nan calamity of Flaco’s passing, they besides bring knowing and closure,” Barrett said.

Following his death, zoo officials placed nan blasted squarely connected nan vandal who trim his enclosure, a crime that remains unsolved.