A year in the concrete jungle with Flaco, the 'most famous owl in the world'

Flaco the owl escaped from the Central Park Zoo after someone vandalized his enclosure.

He's been all around New York City, leaving admirers gawking at his iridescent coat and spellbound by his orange eyes. He's been pecked at and screeched to by rivals, even becoming a subject for late-night TV talk shows. This is the story of how Flaco, a runaway owl from the Central Park Zoo, has become an international celebrity with a legion of admirers and fans.

On Feb. 2, the apex predator will mark one year since he slipped through an opening vandals cut in the stainless steel mesh of his enclosure at the Central Park Zoo and bolted into the wilds of America's largest city, testing the limits of his six-foot wingspan for the first time in his life.

"This is very unusual. Flaco is a Eurasian eagle owl and they're the second biggest owl in the world, and as their name suggests, they're native to Eurasia. So their normal range runs from Western Europe to the Far East," renowned science writer Jennifer Ackerman told ABC News. "This is an incredible opportunity for New Yorkers to see this truly magnificent Eurasian owl flying around Central Park and the rest of Manhattan and to see him roost and hear him hooting ... it's just quite extraordinary."

Ackerman said it was "such a delight" to learn that the publication of her 2023 New York Times bestselling book -- "What an Owl Knows: The New Science of the World's Most Enigmatic Birds" -- happened to coincide with Flaco's time on the lam.

"I learned about Flaco's escape almost immediately because I'm on all the owl listservs, and I just couldn't believe it," Ackerman said. "It was like, 'Oh, this is just so magical and interesting.' I think people are just fascinated by his story."