phizer'd
https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/flaco-the-owl-becomes-new-york-attraction-as-he-settles-into-central-park-home/ar-AA17Iust?ocid
ABC News
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Flaco the owl becomes New York attraction, as he settles into Central Park home
3h ago
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Flaco, the newly freed Eurasian eagle-owl who escaped the Central Park Zoo on Feb. 2, was sitting camouflaged in a mighty elm tree in the southwest corner of the park when he heard a “hoot.”
Adjusting from his apparent slumber, Flaco turned his head and returned his own “hoot,” perhaps anticipating a response from another owl signaling their territory or attracting a mate – a rarity for what is likely the only living Eurasian eagle-owl in New York.
However, the source of the original hoot was not another owl or a potential mate, but rather a human, standing yards away in a gaggle of locals and tourists photographing the famous owl.
“When one moron starts it, everyone starts,” Lincoln Karim, an amateur bird photographer, said.
As nearly a hundred locals, birders and tourists assembled near Central Park’s volleyball courts to watch and photograph Flaco, Karim assumed the role of birding etiquette police, calling out from behind his camera rig to each person who made a noise.
“It's just that it's okay to stand and watch and photograph, but when you start hissing and hooting at the owl, that's disrespectful,” he said.
Unfortunately, for a bird of prey like Flaco, who spent years being gawked at by visitors to the Central Park Zoo before his escape, being watched is likely to be his reality for the near future. While popular birding accounts like Manhattan Bird Alert follow etiquette rules to prevent the swarming of birds like Flaco by posting a specific location, once a small crowd of photographers or bird watchers appears, it can increase rapidly.
Heli, Jonathan and Elmina David were visiting the city from upstate Saturday and decided to walk the park, hoping to see Flaco. Heli's 91-year-old father had learned about the bird from Finnish television.
They admitted they initially thought the odds of spotting the well-camouflaged bird were low but were quickly proven wrong.
“I didn't think it would be this easy, that there would be a big giant crowd of people all around here,” David said about their easy discovery of the bird.
MORE: Flaco, the escaped Central Park Zoo owl, proving he can survive outside enclosure
Lukas Bissette, a college student from France visiting New York, said he originally came to the city to see the Empire State Building but counts the Flaco sighting as an added benefit. (He said he prefers the Empire State Building over Flaco).
Upon discovering the bird, Elmina David expressed conflicting feelings about the nocturnal animal, who appeared to be sleeping, or at least trying to, when the crowd emerged.
“I feel like he's saying like, ‘Can you give me some space?’ Like he's a nocturnal animal,” she said. “He's supposed to be asleep right now.”
JP Borum, who has been tracking Flaco since his escape and even intervened in an attempted capture at one point, said that Flaco admirers who try to see him during daylight are seeing him not at his chipper best.
“[It’s] like someone coming to your house and watching you watch Real Housewives as you drink tea before bed – like that's not your best,” she said.
Borum, a birder who often goes out in the evenings, said she began monitoring weeks ago and spoke about Flaco with a mix of joy and pride.
When Flaco escaped his enclosure at the Central Park Zoo on Feb. 2, she said she initially communicated with Central Park Conservatory staff to help track Flaco.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/4-foot-alligator-found-in-lake-at-new-york-city-park-transported-to-zoo-for-rehabilitation/ar-AA17IwCA?ocid
USA TODAY
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4-foot alligator found in lake at New York City park, transported to zoo for rehabilitation
Story by Wyatte Grantham-Philips, USA TODAY • 2h ago
The alligator was found in a lake at Brooklyn's Prospect Park, the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation said.
The animal was first spotted Sunday morning by park maintenance staff, who then alerted the department's Parks Enforcement Patrol and Urban Park Rangers.
carter 3-11-23 ded
my guess