this post was submitted on 15 Jan 2025
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Superbowl

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For owls that are superb.

US Wild Animal Rescue Database: Animal Help Now

International Wildlife Rescues: RescueShelter.com

Australia Rescue Help: WIRES

Germany-Austria-Switzerland-Italy Wild Bird Rescue: wildvogelhilfe.org

If you find an injured owl:

Note your exact location so the owl can be released back where it came from. Contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitation specialist to get correct advice and immediate assistance.

Minimize stress for the owl. If you can catch it, toss a towel or sweater over it and get it in a cardboard box or pet carrier. It should have room to be comfortable but not so much it can panic and injure itself. If you can’t catch it, keep people and animals away until help can come.

Do not give food or water! If you feed them the wrong thing or give them water improperly, you can accidentally kill them. It can also cause problems if they require anesthesia once help arrives, complicating procedures and costing valuable time.

If it is a baby owl, and it looks safe and uninjured, leave it be. Time on the ground is part of their growing up. They can fly to some extent and climb trees. If animals or people are nearby, put it up on a branch so it’s safe. If it’s injured, follow the above advice.

For more detailed help, see the OwlPages Rescue page.

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From NY Historical Museum

Flaco the Eurasian eagle-owl captured the hearts of New Yorkers from the moment he escaped the Central Park Zoo until his death in February 2024. Many saw him as a symbol of freedom and, given the odds of survival stacked against him, as a true New Yorker embodying pluck and resilience. The Year of Flaco looks back at the year the raptor took to Manhattan’s skies, learned to hunt, and peered into apartment windows.

In addition to photographs and video, this exhibition features letters, drawings, and objects left at a memorial beneath Flaco’s favorite oak tree. It also examines the dangers faced by birds in the urban environment, the legislation inspired by Flaco’s death, and what we can do to be better neighbors to the animals in our midst. A special related installation in the Audubon's Birds of America Focus Gallery showcases owls, primarily those found in New York.

I'm going to have to try to get to see this. If you'll be in NYC from Feb 7 - June 6, you can see some of the tributes to the owl that captivated the country with its bittersweet journey.

I do hope they put a statue of him by his favorite roosting tree in Central Park as many have asked for. We could also ban the second-generation rat poison that killed him, but the statue is probably more likely as it's the lesser of two inconveniences.

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[–] [email protected] 10 points 2 weeks ago

From Wikipedia

Flaco (March 15, 2010 – February 23, 2024) was a male Eurasian eagle-owl who escaped his long-time enclosure at Central Park Zoo in New York City after someone cut the protective netting in February 2023. Flaco subsequently resided in and around Central Park. His escape attracted significant public and press attention, especially as he was of a species not native to North America. There were concerns for his ability to feed himself after being captive for so long, since he had not previously needed to fly or hunt, but he was seen successfully catching and eating rats a week after his escape. Attempts to recapture Flaco failed, and a petition circulated advocating that he remain free. Zoo officials ceased attempts to recapture him once it became clear he was eating on a regular basis and his flying skills improved.

Though he was able to hunt, there were lingering concerns about potential dangers in the park, like rodenticide. He remained in Central Park for nine months, eventually wandering to nearby buildings and neighborhoods in Lower Manhattan. In February 2024, one year after his escape, Flaco died after colliding with a building in Manhattan's Upper West Side.