Rest in Peace, Flaco

Summary

Podcast Summary: "Rest in Peace, Flaco" on All Of It by WNYC

Release Date: February 21, 2025
Host: Alison Stewart (guest-hosted by David Furst)
Guest: Rebecca Klassen, Associate Curator of Material Culture at the New York Historical
Episode Title: Rest in Peace, Flaco
Podcast Description: ALL OF IT is a show about culture and its consumers, aiming to engage thinkers, doers, makers, and creators about the what and why of their work, fostering a community around diverse perspectives.

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Introduction: Remembering Flaco

The episode commemorates the one-year anniversary of Flaco the owl's death, an iconic New Yorker whose escape from the Central Park Zoo captivated the city. Flaco's story is now featured in a new exhibit at the New York Historical titled "The Year of Flaco."

Notable Quote:

"The exhibition explores all of those factors. We look at collisions with glass provide stats such as In North America, 1 billion birds. I'm sorry, 1 million birds die every year." — Rebecca Klassen [07:58]

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Flaco's Journey: From Captivity to Wild

Flaco, a Eurasian eagle owl born on March 15, 2010, lived in captivity at the Central Park Zoo until his escape on February 2, 2023. Over the following year, Flaco navigated the challenges of urban life, ultimately passing away on February 23, 2024.

Key Points:

• Species Characteristics: Flaco was one of the largest owl species, with a wingspan of about six feet and distinctive tawny and buff feathers with orange eyes.

  "He had kind of tawny and buff feathers modeled in places barred and the wings and on the tail. And he had orange eyes that really captivated people seeing." — Rebecca Klassen [06:06]

• Escape Details: Flaco escaped due to vandalism—a deliberate cutting of his enclosure's steel mesh using power tools, highlighting issues of animal captivity and human interference.

• Adaptation to Urban Life: Initially struggled with hunting and navigation but gradually adapted by improving his hunting skills and adjusting to the urban environment.

  "He first had to gain capability, you know, strengthen his wings... he couldn't fly long distances. He would kind of more hop from branch to branch and then kind of rest." — Rebecca Klassen [23:02]

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The Year of Flaco Exhibition

Curated by Rebecca Klassen, the "Year of Flaco" exhibition at the New York Historical showcases Flaco's life and legacy through various artifacts and multimedia displays.

Exhibition Highlights:

• Memorial Objects: Letters and personal items left at Flaco's favorite oak tree in Central Park, reflecting deep emotional connections from the community.

  "The emotional heart of the exhibition is a collection of memorial objects that were left at the base of Flaco's favorite oak tree in Central Park." — Rebecca Klassen [04:16]

• Bird-Related Artwork: Includes original preparatory watercolors for John James Audubon's Birds of America and anticipates a Flaco-specific collection.

• Photographs and Videos: Features 31 photographs by nine photographers capturing key moments in Flaco's life, such as his first hunt and interactions with other animals.

• Interactive Elements: Visitors can touch bird-friendly window retrofit examples, promoting conservation efforts.

Notable Quote:

"It's kind of of a piece. And we also have a large collection of bird related artwork." — Rebecca Klassen [05:07]

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Community Impact: Stories and Tributes

The episode features multiple listener calls sharing personal anecdotes about Flaco, illustrating his profound impact on New Yorkers.

Listener Stories:

• Adita from Queens: Advocates for Flaco's Laws to protect future bird populations by eliminating harmful rat poisons and implementing bird-safe glass retrofits.

  "I'm working on legislation to pass Flaco's Laws and all New Yorkers can help with this because this is how we can save future Flacos and save over a quarter of a million birds a year." — Adita [08:50]

• Janelle from Brooklyn: Shares a creative connection with Flaco through indie movie posters and reflects on his symbolic significance as a beacon of hope.

  "Flaco was featured on one of my favorite ones that she made called 'When the Owl Sleeps,'... Flaco got out and was a symbol of hope." — Janelle [10:19]

• Kate Hines' Personal Encounter: Describes an intense experience chasing Flaco across apartment buildings on New Year's Eve, resulting in a minor injury.

  "I dragged my injured friend like, 20 yards just to see Flaco. But I think she would say it's worth it." — Kate Hines [16:18]

• Jonathan from Brooklyn: Discusses his role in publishing an illustrated book about Flaco and preserving memorial objects, emphasizing Flaco's role as a unifying figure.

  "Flaco was a gift to the community... a collective portrait of the spirit of New York." — Jonathan [12:05]

Emotional Connections: Flaco served as an inspiration for individuals facing personal struggles, symbolizing resilience and the human-animal bond.

"He was a beautiful bird and so telling these stories... they found joy in him." — Rebecca Klassen [04:16]

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Conservation Efforts: Flaco's Legacy

The exhibition and community initiatives focus on addressing environmental threats to urban bird populations, inspired by Flaco's life and untimely death.

Flaco's Laws:

• Intro 1073 and Intro 896: Legislative bills aimed at creating a bird-friendly New York City by banning harmful rat poisons and retrofitting buildings with bird-safe glass.

  "This would be a historic package of bills that would make New York City one of the most bird friendly in the country." — Adita [08:50]

• Public Advocacy: Collaboration with the Lights Out Coalition and encouragement for listeners to contact city council members to support the legislation.

Environmental Impact:

• Bird Mortality Statistics: Highlights the tragic loss of approximately one million birds annually in North America, with a significant portion in New York City.

  "In North America, 1 billion birds. I'm sorry, 1 million birds die every year. A quarter million of those in New York City." — Rebecca Klassen [07:58]

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Flaco's Symbolism and Future Legacy

Flaco transcended his status as an escaped zoo animal to become a cultural symbol representing freedom, community, and the intricate relationship between humans and wildlife.

Symbolism:

• Hope and Inspiration: Served as a source of comfort and motivation for individuals facing adversity.

  "He was a source of inspiration, of magic." — Rebecca Klassen [02:46]

• Community Building: Fostered connections among bird enthusiasts and the broader public, strengthening communal ties.

  "He highlighted all of that kind of gathering and community building and the way that people would share stories and connect with each other." — Rebecca Klassen [02:46]

Future Legacy: Rebecca Klassen emphasizes the importance of preserving Flaco's story for future generations, allowing history to interpret his impact on New York City's cultural and environmental landscape.

"They're preserving the evidence of what New Yorkers in 2023 and 2024 felt for people to learn from in the future." — Rebecca Klassen [34:40]

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Conclusion: Celebrating Flaco's Life

The episode concludes by acknowledging the collective mourning and celebration of Flaco's life, urging continued community involvement in conservation and remembering the positive influence Flaco had on New Yorkers.

Final Remarks:

• Exhibition Availability: "The Year of Flaco" exhibition is on view at the New York Historical through July 6.

• Call to Action: Encouragement for listeners to engage with the exhibit, support conservation efforts, and share their own Flaco stories.

Notable Quote:

"Animals teach us something about ourselves in a way that... we underestimate. Allow someone like Flaco to kind of tell us what we need." — Rebecca Klassen [29:09]

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Additional Noteworthy Moments

• Fact Correction: Rebecca Klassen acknowledges an error regarding bird mortality statistics, correcting from "1 billion" to "1 million" birds dying annually in North America.

  "I actually did say 1 billion first. And then I strangely corrected myself to 1 million. But thank you so much for that." — Rebecca Klassen [19:27]

• Personal Injuries Highlighting Flaco's Influence: A listener named Hillary adds depth to Kate Hines' story by noting the irony of Flaco being visible across the street as her friend was being assisted after the incident.

  "What Kate neglected to mention was the vast irony of the situation when we were icing my nose, face, and so on in Kate's apartment after being injured, Flaco was ironically perched directly across the street at the same level as Kate's apartment." — Hillary [33:11]

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Final Thoughts

"Rest in Peace, Flaco" serves as a heartfelt tribute to an extraordinary owl whose brief taste of freedom left an indelible mark on New York City's cultural and environmental consciousness. Through personal stories, expert insights, and a compelling exhibition, the episode encapsulates Flaco's legacy as a symbol of hope, community, and the enduring bond between humans and the natural world.

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For those interested in further engagement, listeners are encouraged to visit the "Year of Flaco" exhibition at the New York Historical and participate in ongoing conservation efforts to honor Flaco's memory.

Transcript

[David Furst]

Listener support, WNYC Studios. You're listening to all of it on wnyc. I'm David Furst in for Alison Stewart. This month marks one year since the death of an iconic New Yorker, a celebrity who captured the hearts and minds of our city. Those who caught a glimpse of him in the streets or heard his mighty hoot could hardly believe their luck. Of course, we are talking about Flaco the owl. The story of Flocko's escape from the Central Park Zoo and his death one year later is now documented in a new exhibit at the New York Historical, formerly known as the New York Historical Society. The exhibition is called the Year of Flaco. And Rebecca Klassen, associate curator of material culture at the New York Historical, joins us now to remember Flaco and to take your calls. Rebecca, welcome to wnyc.

[Rebecca Klassen]

Hey, thanks for having me.

[David Furst]

It's great to have you here. And yes, if you want to join this conversation, if you want to talk about your Flocko stories, Flaco sightings back in the day. 212-433-WNYC. Did you ever spot him around the city? Why do you think Flaco was so popular? Give us a call. That's 212-433-WNYC, 212-433-9692. So, Rebecca, new York Historical is obviously dedicated to preserving and curating New York history. Why was Flaco's story interesting or or important in the eyes of New York Historical?

[Rebecca Klassen]

Well, he was a New York icon, really. He's a folk hero. And he impacted people emotionally, psychologically, in so many ways. And he really brought a lot of very interesting questions to the fore about humanity and how we relate to animals. But he also kind of highlighted these really important themes and kind of how we feel about New York itself, you know, that it's different and challenging. And he was a bird who was born and raised in captivity 13 years, and then he's on the lamb, and he faces many challenges. And we can all sort of relate to that and this idea of overcoming them and finding our own glory, I guess.

[David Furst]

Beyond the story of this actual bird, what does the Flaco story tell us about New Yorkers and how they see themselves in this story, perhaps?

[Rebecca Klassen]

Well, he does tap into a basic kind of human element that is maybe exceeds New York itself. You know, just people going through difficult times and finding him as a source of inspiration to lift them out of whatever they were going through. And we live in tumultuous times. So he was a source of inspiration, of magic. But what does it say about New Yorkers. Well, you know, we have such a huge birding community, very passionate, very centered in Central Park. And he highlighted all of that kind of gathering and community building and the way that people would share stories and connect with each other.

[David Furst]

Looking at Flaco, was there something about that moment, too, coming out of lockdown from the pandemic? I know it wasn't like exactly at the end of that moment, but was there still some of that feeling that made us think about escape?

[Rebecca Klassen]

I can imagine. So I think more to the point, it taps into again that elemental aspect of this idea of liberation, this idea of discovering your potential that is just so. Yeah. Alluring.

[David Furst]

Well, unlike other exhibitions that might feature a historical figure's archives or an event, Flaco was a bird. So how did you decide on the objects to display as part of this exhibition?

[Rebecca Klassen]

Well, the emotional heart of the exhibition is a collection of memorial objects that were left at the base of Flaco's favorite oak tree in Central Park. And these are incredible letters speaking to such vulnerability and an emotional connection that people had to this bird. He was a beautiful bird and so telling these stories. You know, they're everyday New Yorker stories about how they found joy in him. And we continue to collect objects related to current events. Really, we have been since our founding in 1804. So it's really of a piece. And we also have a large collection of bird related artwork.

[David Furst]

So bird related artwork or very specifically Flaco related, Not specific.

[Rebecca Klassen]

Well, we anticipate that there will be a Flaco related collection. We'll be acquiring a large portion of this collection that I mentioned, but we have the original preparatory watercolors for John James Audubon's Birds of America. So we do interpret the art and sort of history of birds and birding in New York on an ongoing basis.

[David Furst]

Listeners, we would love to have you join this conversation. Did you follow Flocko during his year of freedom around Central Park? Did you ever spot him around the city or maybe get a photo? Did you hear his hoot or did he peer into your apartment windows? What's your story? Call us or text us now at 212-433-WNYC. That's 212-433-9692. Flaco is a Eurasian eagle owl. Am I getting that correct?

[Rebecca Klassen]

That's right.

[David Furst]

Okay, now, what can you tell us about Flaco's species?

[Rebecca Klassen]

Well, he's one of the. He was one of the Eurasian eagle Owls are among the largest owl species, kind of akin to the Blackistan fish owl or the Great Gray Owl. So you know the ring span is about six feet, stood about two feet, two and a half feet tall. So quite large. He had kind of tawny and buff feathers modeled in places barred and the wings and on the tail. And he had orange eyes that really captivated people seeing, you know, whether he had, I like to think he had kind of like bedroom eyes in some of these photos and videos. But other, other times, you know, he looked like he was just gonna go, go catch a rat. So.

[David Furst]

And he probably was.

[Rebecca Klassen]

He probably was.

[David Furst]

Now where and, and when was Flaco born and how did he end up at the Central Park Zoo?

[Rebecca Klassen]

Yeah, so he was born on March 15, 2010. He ended up in Central Park Zoo a couple months later, I believe. And then that fall the park, the zoo made the announcement that he was ready for viewing. Yeah. And then he escaped on February 2, 2023. And then he tragically died on February 23, 2024. So we're coming up on Sunday with the one year anniversary of his death.

[David Furst]

Well, let's, yeah, let's focus in on that. We have a text right now, someone saying Flaco's story is ours. New Yorkers from all over the world looking for freedom and love whilst facing poisons and environmental dangers. Please do not use rat poisons. Compost. Compost. Compost. Bird safe glass must be retrofitted to all of our dangerous buildings.

[Rebecca Klassen]

Yes, and the exhibition explores all of those factors. We look at collisions with glass provide stats such as In North America, 1 billion birds. I'm sorry, 1 million birds die every year. A quarter million of those in New York City. And we provide examples that people can touch of bird friendly window retrofits. Those can range from what we have in the exhibition, which are vinyl kind of dots on the surface to you know, bug screens on your windows.

[David Furst]

Well, if you'd like to join this conversation Again, the number 212-433-9692. That's 212-433-WNYC. And let's hear from Adita in Queens. Welcome to all of it.

[Adita]

Hi, I'm so glad you're covering this. I'm a member of the Lights Out Committee and we are working on legislation to pass Flaco's Laws and all New Yorkers can help with this because this is how we can save future Flacos and save over a quarter of a million birds a year. So all listeners can just call their New York City Council member email, ask them to sign on and support the two Flaco's Laws bills. Intro 1073 and intro 896. We are inching closer to passing this. This would be historic package of bills that would make New York City one of the most bird friendly in the country. And we've already passed the part of the bill that would phase out and hopefully end the use of poisons, rat poisons, which was a factor in Flaco's demise.

[David Furst]

Rebecca, is that something you've been hearing about as you've been launching this exhibit?

[Rebecca Klassen]

Absolutely. And we were so glad to work with the Lights Out Coalition. We have a protest sign that they showed in one of their rallies in front of City hall, produced in 2023. And so we do include information about Flaco's laws and the Flaco Act.

[David Furst]

We are speaking with Rebecca Klassen, associate curator of material culture at the New York Historical, and we're talking about this new exhibition that she has organized called the Year of Flaco. And let's take another call. Janelle in Brooklyn, welcome to all of it.

[Janelle]

Hi. I'm so excited that you're giving airspace to Flaco, one of our city's greats. I was just. I had a Flaco connection when I first moved to New York many, many years ago. I was working on indie movies, and me and a friend would go to the zoo and take portraits of animals so we could make them into fake movie posters and such. And Flacca was featured on one of my favorite ones that she made called when the Owl Sleeps, which was a funny fake horror movie poster about the daytime. And then eventually Flaco got out and was a symbol of hope and for a moment, you know, some type of New York freedom energy. And I don't know, it was just kind of interesting that we had featured Flaco on, like, movie, fake movie posters 15 years ago.

[David Furst]

Freedom energy. I like that, Rebecca.

[Rebecca Klassen]

Well, clearly he was an emblem before he even, you know, before New Yorkers even knew about him for the most part. But there was something about, you know, I imagine his orange eyes really kind of penetrated through the image there on your poster. I love it.

[David Furst]

Do we know how he got the name Flaco, by the way?

[Rebecca Klassen]

We don't. I mean, I don't. I'm sure the zoo does, but he. The announcement was made with that name.

[David Furst]

Okay. The announcement of his.

[Rebecca Klassen]

Of his arrival or his kind of ready for viewing at the zoo.

[David Furst]

Well, let's take another call. This is Jonathan from Brooklyn. Welcome to all of it. You have a Flocko story. Jonathan, are you there?

[Jonathan]

Oh, yes, Hello.

[David Furst]

Oh, hello, Jonathan. Welcome to all of it. Did you have a Flocko story.

[Jonathan]

I do, actually. I'm the editor of Flocko, which just published two weeks ago from Blurring Books. It's an illustrated book, 244 pages of Flaco imagery ranging from photography documenting Flaco around the city, everywhere from Central park to the Lower east side, the Upper west side, where he was roosting in the last months of his life, artwork that he inspired. But the latter part of the book actually focuses on the memorial objects that were left at the base of the oak in Central Park. I was part of a small group of individuals who gathered up those objects at the end of the ceremony and preserved them. We, of course, worked with Rebecca Claassen to make sure that they had a future home. But I. I felt like those objects were really not just a portrait of our grief at his loss, but also kind of a collective portrait of the spirit of New York and how much he affected us. And I wanted to make sure that those were a part of the story as well.

[Rebecca Klassen]

Those are absolutely part of the story. Hi, Jonathan. How are you? Jonathan and the rest of the Friends of Flaca were absolutely critical to getting this exhibition off the ground. And really, the letters that he mentions were what convinced me to embark on this. They're so. My favorite one is from a woman who talks about being in a profound depression as she was sort of recalibrating her meds and such that she couldn't even get out of bed. And thinking of Flaco helped her get out of her apartment and really, I think, revitalized her soul.

[David Furst]

Very interesting. Not the story I was expecting to hear.

[Rebecca Klassen]

No, absolutely. And it helped her face the unknown. And she talks about being inspired to apply to law school, and that when she gets into law school, you know, she'll think back on Flaco as his, as her good luck charm. And so many of the letters really speak to that kind of spiritual balm, that restorative aspect that, you know, Flaco had, but also just nature and the idea of the wild people who were grieving, you know, the loss of loved ones, people who were under treatment for cancer. I mean, it was really profound. So many things that people were going through. And I think as we go through so much now, so much tumult, it's important to think back to a moment when an owl could bring people together, bring New Yorkers together, and we could overcome obstacles, face adversity, and rise to become better versions of ourselves.

[David Furst]

We're going to have to take a very short break. We're having a conversation with Rebecca Klassen. Associate curator of material culture at the New York Historical. New exhibit called the Year of Flaco is on now about the beloved eagle owl who unfortunately died last year. This is on view through July 6, and if you would like to join this conversation, here's that number again. 212-433-9692. That's 212-433-WNYC. Back with more in just a moment here on WNYC. This is all of it on WNYC. I'm David Fuerst, and we're talking about the Year of Flaco, a new exhibition at New York Historical. It's on through July 6, and we're speaking with the associate curator, Rebecca Klassen, and we are taking your calls about Flocko. Did you follow Flocko the owl during his year of freedom? Did you spot him around the city? Give us a call. 212-433-9692. That's 212-433-WNYC. And we tried to stop her, but all of it. Producer Kate Hines just came running into the studio saying, I must share my Flocko. So tell us.

[Kate Hines]

It was New Year's Eve, 2023, and I am getting ready for a party that was actually in my building. I have the same group of friends, celebrates New Year's Eve together. And the party travels every year. And this year, it was in my apartment building because I have good friends that live in my building. So I am getting out of the shower. The window's open in my bathroom. Cause it's really steamy. I had a million things on my mind. And all of a sudden, I hear something, and I'm like, oh, that's an owl hooting. And then it was like something out of a cartoon where I'm like. And I actually recorded the owl hooting. If you want to hear what I heard.

[David Furst]

Sure.

[Kate Hines]

So that is Flaco.

[David Furst]

Wow.

[Kate Hines]

Hooting twice. There was a little more space between the second hoots. We edited it for time. So now I'm running around my apartment trying to see where Flocko is, and it turns out that he's on a water tower in the apartment right next to me. So I basically, it was not a great view, but I'm hanging out my window watching him until he flew away. Then, you know, I go downstairs to the party, and I'm like, guys, you're not gonna believe this. Flocko is on the building across the street. Okay. You know, the party goes on. Weirdly, it didn't stop the party.

[David Furst]

It stopped it for you.

[Kate Hines]

It stopped it for Me. That was all I wanted to talk about. We're playing Scrabble. My friends know how to have a rager. And then a couple people left and texted one of my friends to say, oh, Flocko is now on the building across the street. And there are people on the sidewalk looking up at Flaco. You can get a really good view. So I grab my friend Hilary, who was sitting next to me, and she had said she wanted to see Flaco. I'm like, hilary, come on, let's go, let's go. And I drag her out the front door of my building. Except there's a little bit of a ledge on the exit to my building. So as I'm dragging her, she trips over the sidewalk ledge and, like, completely collapses on the sidewalk.

[David Furst]

Wow.

[Kate Hines]

And I'm like, get up. Just get up. You know? And I sort of drag her limping and bleeding down.

[David Furst]

You're focused on what's important here. Seeing Flaco.

[Kate Hines]

There was a really good view of Flaco. We later, at some point, sense came back to me and I looked at Hillary and it was really clear that she was not okay. So I took her upstairs to my apartment and gave her an ice pack. And we later discovered that, in fact, she broke her nose and her wrist.

[Rebecca Klassen]

Wow.

[Kate Hines]

And I dragged my injured friend like, 20 yards just to see Flaco. But I think she would say it's worth it.

[Rebecca Klassen]

Hopefully the adrenaline and the prospect of seeing Flaco kind of abated her pain a little bit. Her.

[Kate Hines]

Let's just say her husband was not happy with me. And he later apologized in a text for speaking harshly with me. And his words were, I'm sorry for going on an anti bird diatribe. I forgave him.

[David Furst]

Is there any other story that matches this one in your experience?

[Rebecca Klassen]

I don't know that's particularly exciting. I just, you know, really brought the party, you know, lots of drama, some injuries. Yeah, I don't know.

[Kate Hines]

We all survived. Flaco didn't.

[David Furst]

That is an action packed story. Well, thank you, Kate Hines. Thank you very much, Olivet producer, for sharing. And we got a text. Maybe you can respond to this. A fact check in one of our texts saying that the annual window strike bird deaths across the United States are close to 1 billion. They heard us say 1 million.

[Rebecca Klassen]

Yes, I actually did say 1 billion first. And then I strangely corrected myself to 1 million. But thank you so much for that.

[David Furst]

That's great. Thank you for letting us know. And please call in if you want to join this conversation as well. The number again, 2 1, 2. 433-9-692. New York City, obviously, is an urban environment, but we are home to over 300 bird species. Why is New York City an important region for bird species?

[Rebecca Klassen]

Yeah. Well, so we lie along the what's known as the Atlantic Flyway, and the green spaces of New York City are very important kind of resting stops and refueling stations for birds who are on their way.

[David Furst]

Hmm.

[Rebecca Klassen]

Yeah.

[David Furst]

We also have a text here, someone saying, I remember for a few days, Flaco came downtown to my East Village neighborhood. I imagined his flight path from Central park to here and back and pictured that as he looked down on our city, did he weave through the tall buildings? Did he fly above them? Loved thinking about Flaco every day. So sad for his demise. What about that? Did Flaco travel that far from the park?

[Rebecca Klassen]

He went all the way down to the Lower east side. Yeah. East Village, Lower east side, Upper west side, Upper east side, and then kind of crisscrossing between the Upper east and Upper west into Central Park.

[David Furst]

I mean, is that typical for a bird like Flaco to travel that far? Is that.

[Rebecca Klassen]

Well, from what I understand, in the fall months, and this is what, you know, Eurasian eagle owls in Eurasia do. Yeah. But they start to expand their territory looking for a mate, looking for place to nest. So that's why he was making all those loud territorial hoots from the tops of buildings. He was projecting his voice.

[David Furst]

Those were territorial hoots. Those weren't. Hello. Hey.

[Rebecca Klassen]

I mean, also territorial. I mean, you know, saying, hey, this is my area, and are you there? Yeah.

[David Furst]

Well, Flaco escaped the Central Park Zoo on February 2, 2023. How? Going back to that moment, how did he get out?

[Rebecca Klassen]

Well, from what I understand, you know, somebody, a vandal, cut open the steel mesh of his enclosure, and that would have taken some power tools. So the person was pretty wily, evaded cameras, and came prepared.

[David Furst]

How do we square celebrating Flaco's freedom and this whole story that captured so much of our attention with the fact that it was vandalism that started this whole thing that led to his release?

[Rebecca Klassen]

Well, it does open up so many interesting questions that I really don't think are easily solved. I mean, I think obviously, some people have strong opinions about freedom versus captivity, but ultimately, you know, he. He did die. And birds in the urban environment face so many dangers. It wasn't his. His long life was not guaranteed. That he even made it a year was really quite wonderful.

[David Furst]

Hmm. Once Flocko did escape, how did he adjust to, you know, wild New York City life?

[Rebecca Klassen]

Yeah, well, he first had to gain capability, you know, strengthen his wings. The small enclosure or relatively constricted enclosure didn't really allow him to have strong flight. So from what I understand, he couldn't fly long distances. He would kind of more hop from branch to branch and then kind of rest. He didn't have the right landing zones and trees, you know, he'd kind of hit branches. So it took him a little while to adjust to that. And then also he had limited experience with live prey, so he had to figure out how to hunt skillfully. Initially, he would kind of pounce. And then eventually he gained such facility with his flight that he could descend from a tree and capture a rat and then bring it on up, back up to the tree. So it's really incredible what he was able to do, discovering what his body kind of had in it.

[David Furst]

Right. And because of all those reasons at the time, it was a very urgent message that the zoo needed to recapture Flocko right away. Because the fear was wouldn't be able to take care of himself, wouldn't be able to catch live food, et cetera. Why wasn't the zoo able to recapture Flaco?

[Rebecca Klassen]

Well, you know, at first he. Well, he was hungry at first, and he didn't know how to feed for himself, hunt for himself. But then once he was able to do so, the incentives were sort of less for him to enter into a trap or take the bait. He just wasn't going to take the bait.

[David Furst]

He was doing okay, didn't he?

[Rebecca Klassen]

He really was doing okay. But I really can't answer so much as to why the zoo did what it did or should it have done more. That's really not for me to say.

[David Furst]

What was the moment you would say Flocko went from this Central park escapee to a full blown New York celebrity?

[Rebecca Klassen]

Gosh, you know, all along the way, it's like the initial part of this story, it evolved. There's so many phases to his story. First it's a crime story. It's this escaped zoo animal, which is always sort of has an enduring appeal to us for various reasons. We love the idea of an escaped zoo animal. It's very enticing to us narratively. And then, you know, and then he's an owl that's making it and discovering himself, what he can do, and we're discovering what he can do as well, alongside him and tracking his whereabouts. It's like watching a thing bloom in front of you.

[David Furst]

Hmm. Watching a thing bloom in front of you. Is that something you want to capture in the exhibition as well. This emergence of Flaco's true self during this year of discovery.

[Rebecca Klassen]

Yes. So the exhibition has 31 photographs by nine different photographers, really talented photographers who, with their powerful lenses, are able to capture all of these milestones across Flaco's life, such as the first time he's able to hunt. His first experiences encountering other animals like squirrels and blue jays who are harassing him. And his.

[David Furst]

The blue jays were.

[Rebecca Klassen]

Yeah, you know, it's mobbing behavior. They want him out of there. He's an apex predator. Crows, he's encountering, having close encounters with squirrels. So all these novel experiences for this owl that was in captivity for, you know, over a decade, and then we see the seasons change, and we see him then, you know, exploring apartment buildings and having encounters with people.

[David Furst]

Yeah. How did that. You know. After his escape into Central park, eventually, Flaco seemed to grow more curious about his neighbors. Right. He started flying around the Upper east and west sides. What accounted for his movements out of the park, do you think it actually was curiosity about the surroundings? We can pretend it was us, but maybe just the surroundings.

[Rebecca Klassen]

Well, as I said earlier, at a certain point, he was exploring, expanding his territory, looking for. Seeing what other owls were out there. Are there any. Any of my kind, these sorts of, you know, expanding. Trying to find a mate potentially in nesting's area, so.

[David Furst]

Well, that makes it another sad element to the story as you're hooting for someone to answer.

[Rebecca Klassen]

Yeah, well, he wasn't going to find anyone in the zoo.

[David Furst]

So we have another text here, someone saying, I'm in New Jersey, so I never got to see Flocko in person, so to speak. But like so many, I was completely smitten by him and his new life in the wild. I followed him through social media, and I was so saddened by his passing. He was a real gift to the community.

[Rebecca Klassen]

He really was a gift to the community. And, you know, I just want to say, watching people come into the exhibition space and seeing. Looking for their memorial objects, seeing what they've left behind, and then also contributing to the guest book, it really shows. It's a testament, a material testament to the profound impact that Flaco had on us then and even today.

[David Furst]

It's amazing because I hear from some people saying, oh, my goodness, you're still talking about Flaco the owl. But. And then a lot of other people who say absolutely just the opposite. You know, why did we fall so hard for this bird? It really was something that it seemed like it just exploded.

[Rebecca Klassen]

Yeah, well, he was very photogenic, super Cute, fluffy, you know.

[David Furst]

Yeah, we downplayed that. He very photogenic.

[Rebecca Klassen]

Very photogenic. He gave a lot of looks. You know, some days he's like. Looks like just this spirit of the woods, and other times he just looks so ferocious. And so he was easy on the eyes. And also there's something about animals themselves. I mean, he was a charismatic one for sure. But animals teach us something about ourselves in a way that sort of, in our logical waking brains, we underestimate. You know, I think, as I've been telling people recently, there's a reason why fables feature animal characters that teach us something about ourselves and about the way society works. It's as if we need animals to show us something about our humanity and they give us space to dream and hope. So I hope we can resist 21st century cynicism that tells us that this is kind of silly or whatever and just allow someone like Flaco to kind of tell us what we need.

[David Furst]

What kind of response have you been getting about the exhibit so far?

[Rebecca Klassen]

Super positive, really. It's kind of weird to say that sometimes my ideal response in an exhibition is to see people cry. I mean, but really people come and they are moved by seeing images of Flaco reading. The letters, which are so vulnerable, speak to such courage. And seeing the video, there's a compilation of 14 different video clips. And seeing Flaco as a moving bird, stretching, so phenomenal, so magical. And birds themselves are incredible. Owls.

[David Furst]

Birds are incredible. I mean, if you're just there to see great photos of birds, I mean, boom, right there. Right there. Let's hear from Valerie calling in from Manhattan. Welcome to all of it.

[Valerie]

Hi there. Good afternoon. Hi, Rebecca.

[Rebecca Klassen]

Hi, Valerie.

[Valerie]

I'm enjoying listening and reminiscing. It's a very. It's an emotional weekend, obviously the one year anniversary of his death, but. But the celebration of his life is so much more important in the bigger picture. And that's captured in the exhibit.

[David Furst]

Valerie, did you follow Flocko around the city? Did you have sightings?

[Valerie]

Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah, Yeah. I used to follow him when he was in the zoo and quite frankly, I thought he was a great horned owl. I didn't even know he was a Eurasian eagle owl. And I used to. My parents have benches close to where he was. And I moved back to New York and started following Barry the barred owl and then fell in love with just birding and then found out that he had somehow been let out of his habitat and spent the entire year really watching him untame himself. And it was extraordinary. It was an amazing, amazing year that again, tragically ended.

[Rebecca Klassen]

I have to give Valerie super kudos, my biggest kudos, because she and a small group of people were the ones who took care of the memorial while it was up. It was, I think, for three weeks. Is that right, Valerie?

[Valerie]

Anyway, I mean, still a bunch of us.

[Rebecca Klassen]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. And, you know, when monitored the weather and when it was inclement weather that was forecasted, went out and gathered up the materials, put them inside for safekeeping, and then took them back out. And so there's a real stewardship of this story and kind of the care that people had for Flaco just evidenced in what Valerie and her comrades did.

[David Furst]

And this will change the tone a little bit, but we just got a text. This is from Hillary. This is referring back to the story that Kate Hines was talking about the person who was injured. She says what Kate neglected to mention was the vast irony of the situation when we were icing my nose, face, and so on in Kate's apartment after being injured, Flocko was ironically perched directly across the street at the same level as Kate's apartment. The view was great. Hillary says, my husband still curses Flocko rather than the woman who ran outside in search of Flocko. Thank you for sharing, Hillary. I'm glad you caught that. And as a historian, when you're thinking about this whole story, how do you think future New Yorkers will remember Flaco? Will they remember Flaco? What will they think of this story?

[Rebecca Klassen]

It's hard to predict what people in the future will think, but what we're doing is helping to preserve the evidence of what New Yorkers in 2023 and 2024 felt for people to learn from in the future. So I leave it to those 50 years from now. They can make of it what they will, but they will at least have the evidence.

[David Furst]

They will have the evidence. Well, thank you so much for joining. Today, we have been speaking with Rebecca Klassen, associate curator of material culture at the New York Historical. She has organized a new exhibition called the Year of Flocko, about Flocko, the Owl's Year of Freedom. And that show is on view through July 6th. Thank you for speaking with us.

[Rebecca Klassen]

Thank you so much.

[David Furst]

And thanks for all the calls as well.