Flaco

too.These aren't the first famous owls in New York.

I can remember the story of, is it Flaco?

Flaco, yes.

He was a, a Eurasian eagle-owl who made a name for himself after escaping the Central Park Zoo.

Now, he actually died after hitting a building and getting sick from eating pigeons and rats that had eaten rat poison.

How concerned are you about this family of barn owls that they could meet a similar fate?

So you're right in voicing those concerns.

Fortunately, we're not, we're not aware that barn owls are eating pigeons, so they're not likely to ever get pigeon herpes virus, which is what killed Flaco.

I'm a- I'm all alone.

I walk out, and I discover, literally discover Flaco the Owl, which is the subject of Penny's movie, Wild Inside.

Absolutely, and I knew that.

I did not know...

I'm your host, Georgia Silvera Seamans.

[upbeat music] [bird chirping] Well, listeners, today I have the pleasure of interviewing Christine Mott, the author of a new children's book, Free Bird: Flaco the Owl's Dreams Take Flight.

Welcome, Christine.

Thank you so much.

It's a pleasure to be here with you today.

The title of the book lets us know what the book is about, Flaco the Owl.

Can you tell us about your relationship with Flaco?

So, like, I guess millions of other people, I followed Flaco's story the moment it hit the press, right? Everybody was just amazed at the story of this captive owl who managed to escape the Central Park Zoo after living there his whole life in captivity in a cage so small he couldn't even fly.

Until one night, he didn't.

We know that somebody, some person or some persons, still unclear because it remains an unsolved crime, sometime February 2nd, cut an opening in this enclosure that was large enough for Flaco to fly away.

We don't know what the motive was because there's never been an arrest.

The police say they're still investigating.

We even see birds that have really good eyesight like owls and hawks crash into glass from time to time.

Oh boy.

Flaco had various symbolic or metaphorical meanings for people.

Ed Shanahan from the New York Times.