A rare owl escaped from the Central Park Zoo last week after its cage was vandalized and has now taken up residence at sanctuary inside the New York City park, according to authorities.

The Central Park Zoo said staff members discovered Flaco, a Eurasian eagle-owl, was missing from his exhibit around 8:30 p.m. on Feb. 2.

“The exhibit had been vandalized and the stainless steel mesh cut,“the New York zoo said in a statementlast Friday. “Upon notification, a team was mobilized to search for the bird.”

The zoo’s staff then spotted him perched in a tree near the zoo, where he stayed overnight, and they have been keeping an eye on Flaco since.

Seth Wenig/AP/Shutterstock

Eurasian eagle-owl named Flaco sits in a tree in Central Park in New York, . The owl, who resided at the Central Park Zoo, flew the coop after someone vandalized its exhibit by cutting through stainless steel mesh. Zoo officials say Flaco was discovered missing at 8:30 p.m. Thursday and remained on the loose Monday Escaped Owl Central Park, New York, United States - 06 Feb 2023

“Our focus and effort at this time is on the safe recovery of the owl. We will issue updates as needed,” the zoo.

Flaco’s presence outside the Central Park Zoo has attracted a crowd of onlookers. These fans are growing concerned about the owl’s ability to hunt for food. David Barrett, who runs birding Twitter accounts includingManhattan Bird Alert, told ABC that no one has seen the bird eat during his time away from the zoo.

On Wednesday, six days into Falco’s escape, the owl was seen in Central Park’s Hallett Nature Sanctuary near Wollman Rink.

Flaco’s saga comes on the heels of similar zoo vandalism incidents around the country.

Julie Larsen Maher/AP/Shutterstock

This photo, provided by the Wildlife Conservation Society, shows a Eurasion eagle-owl named Flaco that escaped from New York’s Central Park Zoo after someone vandalized its exhibit by cutting through stainless steel mesh, zoo officials said . It was spotted on Fifth Avenue, then flew back into the park Friday morning and remained high up in a tree there for much of the day Escaped Owl Central Park, New York, United States - 03 Feb 2023

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One day later, zoo officials noted that the enclosure housing its langurs had been cut. And late last month, two tamarin monkeys — Bella and Finn —were reported missingfrom the zoo. The tamarins have since been found, anda man has been arrested concerning the animals' theft.

Earlier this week,Houston Zoo officials found a four-inch gapin the mesh of a pelican habitat at its Children’s Zoo, but all animals were found secure.

“We will not tolerate the theft or endangerment of any of our animals, big or small,” a news release from the zoo said. “These animals represent their wild counterparts and are entirely dependent upon the expert care of our staff. Actions that threaten that care are unacceptable, dangerous, and criminal.”

source: people.com