An autopsy revealed that Flaco was in good physical condition and had successfully caught prey, even though he came to the zoo as a novice 13 years ago and had no hunting experience. A necropsy report released Saturday said the owl weighed 1.89 kilograms (4.1 pounds), down just 2 percent from when it was last measured at the zoo.
Flaco was found dead on a sidewalk Friday after apparently crashing into a building on Manhattan’s Upper West Side.
“The main effects appear to have been to the body, as there was significant bleeding deep within the body cavity below the sternum and around the liver,” the report said.
The Central Park Zoo placed the blame squarely on the person who cut Flaco’s enclosure open. However, they are investigating the disease as a possible factor and plan to release an update in about two weeks.
“This includes microscopic examination of tissue samples. Toxicology testing to assess potential exposure to rodenticides or other toxins. We also test for infectious diseases such as West Nile virus and avian influenza. ” said the zoo’s statement.
Tributes poured in from his fans over the weekend. So was speculation about which of the city’s many threats to wildlife might have contributed to his death.
Flaco’s fans, who had heard him jeer each night on the Upper West Side, reported that he had become quiet in the days before his death, and theorized that he had been ill.
