NEW YORK (WABC) – Rescuers are trying to catch an owl that vandals freed from the Central Park Zoo.
Filin was released from the enclosure sometime Thursday evening.
The owl was spotted at Fifth Avenue and East 60th Street on Thursday around 9 p.m.
They called the police and emergency workers tried to take her to the cage, but the owl flew away.
Why the vandals released the owl from the zoo, where several species of owls live, is not known.
The Central Park Zoo released the following statement:
“An owl was found missing from its exhibit at the Central Park Zoo on Thursday evening at 8:30 p.m. The exhibit was vandalized and the stainless steel mesh was cut. After the report, a team was mobilized to search for the bird. Citizens and police spotted the owl on the sidewalk on 5th Avenue, but it flew away. Zookeepers found the owl sitting in a tree near the zoo and stayed with it all night. At sunrise this morning, an owl flew out of a tree onto 5th Avenue and into Central Park, where we continue to have visual contact with the bird. We are now focused on the safe recovery of the owl. We’ll post updates as needed.”
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