Flaco the owl remembered with ice show at Central Park's Wollman Rink
NEW YORK -- Figure skaters will pay tribute to Flaco the owl Wednesday night at Central Park's Wollman Rink.
The rink's annual NYC Ice Show is honoring the beloved bird with the theme, "Fly. Be Free."
Flaco escaped from the zoo on Feb. 2, 2023 after someone apparently cut the steel mesh on his exhibit. The zoo spent weeks trying to capture him, but he evaded their efforts and proved he was able to catch his own food.
He spent a year living in the wild, often a figure in the park. He died last month after colliding with a building on West 89th Street.
The 13-year-old Eurasian eagle-owl left his mark on the city, and his followers set up a memorial at the base of his favorite tree.
"He was a survivor, first and foremost. You look at him and his photos at the zoo, he was actually Flaco. When he came out here and he got to see the city and make himself... he really fluffed up," Upper West Side resident Alexander Hiller said at the time.
"He made it. He did what he had to do to survive and thrived in the end. And the city being out here today shows he was a true New Yorker," said Upper West Side resident Gianna Paniagua.
Wednesday's ice show will feature national and international skaters performing tributes to the bird. It starts at 6 p.m. and is free to watch from the overlook above the rink.
