New York City owl Flaco was exposed to pigeon virus and rat poison before death, tests show

By JAKE OFFENHARTZ
Associated Press

New York City’s celebrity owl Flaco was suffering from a pigeon-borne illness and high levels of rat poison when he crashed into a building and died last month. The Eurasian eagle-owl was found dead in a Manhattan courtyard on Feb. 23. A little over a year ago, he escaped a damaged enclosure at the Central Park Zoo. Testing revealed Flaco was suffering from a “severe” case of pigeon herpesvirus that had damaged his brain, liver and other organs. Tests also showed he had been exposed to rat poison. Zoo officials said those ailments may have contributed to the collision. And they would have eventually proven fatal on their own.