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.

[9][11] The owl escaped through a hole left by the vandals in the exhibit's stainless steel mesh, and zoo employees noticed he was gone at around 8:30 PM.

Prompted by the Wild Bird Fund, an Upper West Side wildlife rehabilitation hospital, NYPD officers unsuccessfully attempted to capture the owl soon thereafter near the Bergdorf Goodman Building on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan.

With recapture less urgent to his survival, and concerned that aggressive methods might scare him to an area where he is either less able to take care of himself or less visible, WCS said zoo staff would scale back and redesign their efforts.

[22][19][23] Later the same week, after another attempt to use bait and eagle-owl calls failed, the WCS said they would stop trying to capture him and instead monitor his well-being, which they continued to do throughout the year.

[27][28][29] Though his movement may have been triggered by the New York City Marathon or mobbing by crows, November is part of the breeding season for his species and he may have been looking for a mate.

[29][30] There are no wild Eurasian eagle-owls in the vicinity, but there are members of a similar species, great horned owls, including one named Geraldine who has frequented Central Park.

[37] Writer and literary critic Michiko Kakutani framed Flaco as a distinctly American story: an "outlaw-hero" who succeeded in "writing a second act to his life".

[41] An article in the French newspaper Le Monde said Flaco was "worth the journey", with a backstory "worthy of a Walt Disney screenplay.

Owls like Flaco are nocturnal hunters and roost during the day, when crowds of people can disturb their ability to rest, especially those who do not follow standard ethical guidelines for birdwatching, for example getting too close or making loud sounds to get a bird's attention for a photograph.

[40][43] The large number of people may have made him more conspicuous to potential prey or to birds prone to mobbing behavior, interfering with his ability to hunt or rest.

[44] Although Flaco successfully hunted, living in Central Park has other risks like vehicular traffic, rodenticide, and window collision.

", an article published by National Audubon Society, the author argued for consideration not just for Flaco's well-being, but also that of native species of birds he could eat.

[14] Another Audubon representative told Slate that there was also a chance for Flaco's celebrity status to have a positive influence on other birds, since he is an example of "charismatic megafauna" which could inspire people to consider other wildlife.

The viral infection caused extensive damage and inflammation of several internal organs, weakening him and thus making him more susceptible to a building collision.

[59][60] In April 2024, New York City Council member Shaun Abreu introduced three bills named after Flaco, which dealt with rat contraception, bird-friendly building design, and reductions in light pollution.

[61][62] In the episode of Saturday Night Live following the announcement of the necropsy results, Sarah Sherman portrayed Flaco's widow for a bit during Weekend Update.

[64][65] The organization received an exhibition pitch from locals who had followed Flaco and collected memorabilia, and moved quickly to coincide with the anniversary of his death.