After his death, New Yorkers gathered in Central Park to mourn the beloved bird. On Sunday, March 3, a memorial service was held near what’s now been dubbed as the “Flaco Oak” – a large oak near the park entrance at East 102nd Street that was his alleged favorite spot. People brought flowers and letters to say goodbye to the owl, and many also took to drawing images Flaco in his memory.
The petition, started by 34-year-old author and musician Mike Hubbard, proposes that the City Council erect a statue of Flaco in Central Park to commemorate his legacy. The proposed statue would consist of a protruding branch set on a pedestal, with a life-size statue of the bird perched upon it. They ask that the statue be located near the Flaco Oak, in the northwest quadrant of the park. As of Monday, March 4, the petition had almost 4,000 signatures.
Those who signed the petition commented about their love for the bird. One supporter wrote, “Flaco represents freedom!” Another said, “Flaco reached our hearts and has roosted there for a year. A memorial will tell his story.”
“[Flaco] unlocked peoples’ childlike wonder, he had people looking up instead of at their phones," Hubbard told Hyperallergic. “He needs a statue because I want the people who never got to see him in person to feel that too.”
