Comments
BasedAlliance935 t1_j94yzd6 wrote
You sure that's a good idea? He's technically an invasive species to the local environment and could potentially generate a new subspecies should he ever mate with another owl
scorr204 t1_j950zgo wrote
They probably assessed that risk and probably know a good deal more about it than you.
BasedAlliance935 t1_j95199j wrote
You also have to consider that he was an animal living in captivity now out in the wild, wouldn't that negatively effect his chances at survival (especially considering nyc isn't really the most forrested city)
scorr204 t1_j951eg2 wrote
No because if you have been following any of the news around him, he is finding an absolute abundance of prey in central park. If anything he might get overweight. Owls can live almost anywhere there are small critters.
EdgeOrnery6679 t1_j955e7a wrote
Id be concerned about the amount of poisoned rats he'll be eating.
___pa___ t1_j95djkx wrote
I really do not think it was the zoo's idea. Some idiot vandalized the enclosure, he got out and the zoo has been trying to get him back. But they found out he can survive on his own and as the article states they will watch him and try to get him back if necessary, but I assume it it was easy he would be back. Not sure what else the zoo could do at this point.
ECK-2188 t1_j95g6ih wrote
Now we just gotta find Flaco some owl bitches
dempom t1_j95lsgg wrote
Non-native species are not necessarily invasive species.
House_Boat_Mom t1_j95nos0 wrote
Who knew we just needed some owls to deal with these rats
Aviri t1_j95nvzm wrote
But what will we do once the owl population explodes?
Tr3snyc t1_j95nwhd wrote
How soon until the children’s book comes out? He is now on a level with Pale Male and Glamour Duck.
___pa___ t1_j95nysy wrote
What would zookeepers, handlers and vets that have been working with this specific owl know about what to do? They really should be reading reddit if they want to know the right way to deal with this.
​
/s (but I assume not necessary...)
JelliedHam t1_j95p8iw wrote
Maybe he'll go be the backup QB for the Jets
DahhhBills t1_j95pbqf wrote
This begs the question, is Flaco elite?
Thunderwoodd t1_j95pgzq wrote
And that is how papa gained freedom
ECK-2188 t1_j95qvo9 wrote
They can’t afford him.
Lovis_Iovis t1_j95rxtc wrote
NYC already has native owls and hawks that eat rats. This eagle owl is a threat to those native rat killers. Eurasian eagle owls regularly kill and eat other birds of prey in their native range, and there is no reason to suspect it won’t do the same here.
Lovis_Iovis t1_j95s3ea wrote
A non native apex predator released into any environment will impact that environment in negative ways.
Sea_Consequence_7699 t1_j95s9b6 wrote
That's good news. Let him be. He will be fine.
elizabeth-cooper t1_j95snzf wrote
These define an invasive species:
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They can survive a large variety of habitats or environmental conditions.
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They outcompete native species for resources like food and water.
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They often lack natural enemies (predators, competitors, and parasites) in their new habitat.
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They grow and reproduce rapidly.
https://ocean.si.edu/ocean-life/plants-algae/rough-reputation-are-invasive-species-all-bad
One single owl probably does not have the ability to do this but that doesn't mean it couldn't potentially be a concern.
RNReef t1_j95szwv wrote
We had a family of owls here in Florida, always in the same park/tree, that the local photographers would love to shoot. They ate rats that contained poison and they all died. Horrible and I wouldn’t be surprised if this happened in this scenario as well, sadly.
EdgeOrnery6679 t1_j95vl3a wrote
I mean hows a single owl going to impact the environment? Hes just eating mice, which practically has an unlimited population in this city, and their only natural predators are stray cats and the dozen or so hawks.
Amphiscian t1_j95y93f wrote
The Eurasian Eagle Owl is the most ELITE of all owls
Lovis_Iovis t1_j95yohj wrote
NYC already has native owls and hawks that eat rats (and far more than a dozen or so!) This eagle owl is a threat to those native rat killers. Eurasian eagle owls regularly kill and eat other birds of prey in their native range, and there is no reason to suspect it won’t do the same here.
FernwehForLife t1_j962ih0 wrote
You're correct. As someone with some insider info on the owl, there is certainly a concern. And the owl may be fine if it stays in the park, but it could be detrimental if it attempts to leave, not being used to a city environment.
FernwehForLife t1_j962wjc wrote
This is not correct. There is a concern. If there wasn't, they wouldn't be attempting to retrieve the owl.
JelliedHam t1_j96600z wrote
You might even say he's a dragon owl
RevWaldo t1_j966o1l wrote
Animal liberators: Holy shit, it worked!
House_Boat_Mom t1_j966vvz wrote
Nothing? Let them eat the rats and eventually there will be some natural balance.
AnacharsisIV t1_j968jdq wrote
Central Park is itself not a natural development: every rock and blade of grass was placed there as opposed to being a piece of primordial Manhattan forest. And it's filled with invasive species like pigeons and rats already. As long as flaco stays in central park there's nothing for him to fuck up, really.
wok_into_mordor t1_j9690ha wrote
Elite as fuck, some say
lickedTators t1_j96by3r wrote
Thats when we turn into New New York.
pixel_of_moral_decay t1_j96et5l wrote
A zoo shouldn’t be allowed to give up on recapturing a non native species. That can have unexpected consequences on the environment.
Lovis_Iovis t1_j96gdnn wrote
Manhattan lies along the Atlantic Flyway, an important migratory route for hundreds of bird species. This route is ancient and ingrained into the DNA of these birds. Regardless of the nature of its construction, Central Park is one of the largest sections of stopover habitat along the urban part of this migratory route. Eurasian eagle owls like Flaco are indiscriminate predators that native birds in the US do not naturally have to deal with. A native great horned owl in Central Park is at risk of predation or injury by this owl, as are red tailed hawks.
Pohara521 t1_j96gucx wrote
At least the owl can make good use of an open field
Bubbly_Experience694 t1_j96ibcf wrote
I walk across Central Park every day on my way to work. I was wondering why there were crowds of people staring into cameras pointed to the sky.
_Maxolotl t1_j96j5kb wrote
he doesn't have a mate. It'll be fine.
pixel_of_moral_decay t1_j96jf5t wrote
Ecological disruptions can happen without breeding.
Some-Ruin4706 t1_j96jknf wrote
but what if there is a non-zero chance that owls reproduce by mitosis?
tyen0 t1_j96nxpk wrote
What possibilities did you think of other than a bird? :)
dark-flamessussano t1_j96oepw wrote
How did he escape?
isowater t1_j96opjm wrote
How is this any different than all the other rat eating birds in the city?
csth t1_j96porf wrote
Bubbly_Experience694 t1_j96pvm5 wrote
I was sure it was some kind of bird, just wasn’t aware of the backstory.
m1kasa4ckerman t1_j96scv0 wrote
Or other owls.
m1kasa4ckerman t1_j96sfow wrote
Weird that this is getting downvoted
BIGoleICEBERG t1_j96twdp wrote
Flaco, Breaker of Chains, first of his name.
AsaKurai t1_j96w45l wrote
I hope he stays in Central Park. He’d be a cool permanent addition
throwaway7891236j t1_j970eul wrote
happened last year too, with the central park owl. don't know why there isn't a movement for safer pest extermination by liberals...why do they think shit that kills rats and cockroaches don't make other animals and humans ill ?
orangejuicecake t1_j971ag7 wrote
because liberals vote for eric adams
a3r0d7n4m1k t1_j973tx1 wrote
The plot of Madagascar but toned way tf down
jdapper5 t1_j97d61t wrote
Finally lol. While we're at let all the other animals out of jail. It's called instinct - they know how to survive on their own! Fuck zoos & circuses. can't wait until the day they're banned for good
javaavril t1_j97d6rd wrote
Eurasian eagle owls have mated with Snowy and Great horned owls before. It would be best to get him to his native environment.
luckydice767 t1_j97gtty wrote
This one has a name.
throwaway7891236j t1_j97l2n1 wrote
profoundly confused how i got down voted for asking a question about safer pest control
epolonsky t1_j97vwod wrote
SlowerThanTurtleInPB t1_j98fmeh wrote
Likely because safer pest control isn’t, or at least shouldn’t be, a partisan issue. Why call out liberals?
metromade t1_j98fus7 wrote
New York isn't poisoning rats because of raptors. That's why we're overrun with rats. They are everywhere.
elizabeth-cooper t1_j98g1ax wrote
A plane? Superman?
Darth_JarJar300 t1_j98ko8m wrote
I'm sure they didn't give up observation.
[deleted] t1_j98kydd wrote
[removed]
throwaway7891236j t1_j98ltj3 wrote
bc this is an extremely liberal city
edit: and bc it seems totally in line w liberal values, whereas conservatives for example, sometimes don't give a shit about the environment
FernwehForLife t1_j98q7n9 wrote
They aren't giving up. That's all I can say.
SunnyinSunnyside t1_j98sywk wrote
Where exactly? Nighttime now and he's likely out
Bubbly_Experience694 t1_j98t6a2 wrote
It’s during the day and it’s near the saxophone player. I guess it’s possible it’s just been some bird watchers seeing something else. Just not anything I’m used to seeing.
aguafiestas t1_j98wd5d wrote
What kind of significant disruption could this one owl cause? Sure it's a bit bigger than the great horned owls native to the area, but is it really that meaningful of a difference in the grand scheme of things? For just one owl?
captainthomas t1_j98xxcr wrote
It's probably not a good idea to teach children that animals raised in captivity will do just fine on their own if they make it back into the wild. This one seems to have been able to figure out how to survive for himself, but most do not.
muchadoa t1_j991qs6 wrote
He’s only been free for a week or so. Give him time.
muchadoa t1_j991tz0 wrote
Apparently some hoodlums broke his cage, and he flew away.
muchadoa t1_j992g4g wrote
I’m way more invested in this story than I should be, and I see people worrying about Flaco eating poisoned rats that will kill him. Are rats just running around with rat poison in their system? If so, why do we keep feeding them poison? And what kind of monster rats do we have in this city that they can eat enough poison to kill a massive bird, but it doesn’t hurt them?
midtownguy70 t1_j992v1g wrote
New York poisons rats.
BenHogan1971 t1_j9932fy wrote
this made me laugh out loud. nicely done. :)
Blackspeare29 t1_j994lu0 wrote
Do owls eat rat?!
orangejuicecake t1_j99prc8 wrote
because the past mayors have been voted in by liberals so they administer liberal values like voting in mayors that elect executives of departments that poison pests with chemicals that crawl up the food chain like DDT did
its not progressive
hortence1234 t1_j99ymzq wrote
Feed them dirty water dogs
Tsquare43 t1_j9a1r6e wrote
Spiderman?
TheBadSeed123 t1_j9dn721 wrote
…and don’t you forget it!
rioht t1_j9eoplq wrote
Rats don't just eat poisoned bait and fall over. They die slowly through internal hemorrhaging over a week or so at most. That means they can have acquired multiple lethal doses of poison in their bloodstream via repeat feedings.
Also, due to how the way the law is structured, private landlords can perform self-extermination. A lot of them aren't very good at it.
It's a clusterfuck of problems.
Otherwise-Special843 t1_j9fel42 wrote
Then I'm afraid they'll rise and become a clone army of flacos in the near future!
Some-Ruin4706 t1_j9gg32d wrote
The future is flaco
oxygenmolecule t1_j9q7d2w wrote
Dlcks out for Flaco
SockyNoob t1_j9sz0dn wrote
They can crossbreed with native owls lol
SockyNoob t1_j9sz44s wrote
Downvoted for telling the truth. NYC is full of some clowns I swear.
SockyNoob t1_j9sz6q8 wrote
Owls eat a lot more than rodents. Some eat entire birds.
SockyNoob t1_j9sz8h5 wrote
Buncha morons here licking the boots of a dumbass zoo
SockyNoob t1_j9szcxb wrote
Strange how tons of people on Twitter who are in the field disagreed and a prominent New York bird watching account disabled replies because of it.
Freddy-Sez t1_j94v737 wrote
Hell yeah