Penny Lane, 2026

In February 2023, Flaco, a captive-born Eurasian eagle-owl, escaped from the Central Park Zoo and embarked on an extraordinary odyssey through Manhattan. With few survival skills and barely able to fly, he defied the odds, adapted to life in the wild, and became an international symbol of freedom, hooting from water towers high above New York City.

Flaco’s story unfolds through the eyes of New Yorkers who followed, celebrated, and fell in love with him. A story of resilience, self-determination, and our connection to the wild, Flaco’s remarkable journey also raises provocative questions about captivity, what it means to be a wild animal, and how we might better coexist with our nonhuman neighbors.

The film will be followed by a panel Q&A with Dr. David Flaspohler (Dean, College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science) and Dr. Michael Paul Nelson (Chair, Department of Humanities, and Professor of Environmental Ethics & Philosophy).

96 minutes
United States
English