NEW YORK (PIX11) - Locals flocked to Central Park Sunday to memorialize Flaco, the beloved owl that escaped the Central Park Zoo.
The memorial service kicked off at 4 p.m. Sunday near where Flaco used to perch, near 102nd Street Crossing and East Drive.
Thousands of locals last week called on city officials to create a statue dedicated to the beloved bird that died in February after colliding with a building on the Upper West Side.
"He meant so much to so many, who gathered in droves over the past year to watch him be his best Eurasian Eagle-Owl self. He was and remains a testament to the virtues of resilience and self reinvention," wrote Brandon Borror-Chappell and Mike Hubbard wrote in a Change.org petition.
Flaco was freed from his cage at the Central Park Zoo a little over a year ago by a vandal who breached a waist-high fence and cut a hole through a steel mesh cage. The owl had arrived at the zoo as a fledgling 13 years earlier.
Zoo officials and his fans were at first worried about his survival, but he soon proved adept at catching rats and other prey. The zoo later suspended efforts to re-capture him after failed attempts.
Tributes poured in from across the globe after his death. People posted their favorite photos and videos of him on social media in the hours before Sunday's memorial. Efforts also are underway to put a statue of Flaco in Central Park.
Police are still seeking to arrest whoever let him out of his enclosure.
This story comprises reporting from The Associated Press.
Emily Rahhal is a digital reporter from Los Angeles who has covered local news for years. She has been with PIX11 since 2024. See more of her work here and follow her on Twitter.
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