Owl Who Died After Escaping New York City Zoo Is Mourned by Busy Philipps and More Stars: ‘I’m Devastated’

Celebrities are taking to social media to mourn the death of a famous owl.

Flaco the owl — who gained public attention after he escaped from the Central Park Zoo in New York City in February 2023 after someone vandalized his cage and cut the stainless steel mesh that kept him inside — died on Friday. He was 13.

In a statement posted on social media, the Wild Bird Fund announced that Flaco, a Eurasian eagle-owl who had been flying around Manhattan since he escaped the zoo, was found "lying face down" and "unresponsive" in the courtyard of an apartment building in the Upper West Side neighborhood.

An initial exam of the bird suggests he "collided with a window," which may have caused his death. A forthcoming necropsy done by the Wildlife Conservation Society will determine if there is another underlying cause of his death.

Following the sad news of Flaco's death, Busy Philipps, Elizabeth Banks and other stars are joining New Yorkers in mourning.

"I’m actually devastated," Philipps, 44, wrote in a post on Instagram on Friday, featuring a screenshot of a social media post about the owl's death.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Banks, 50, shared a video of Flaco within a gallery on Instagram.

"I was a bit obsessed with seeing this amazing owl Flaco whenever I visited NYC after we spotted him last February (along with a world of photographers)," The Hunger Games star wrote in her caption. "This is terrible, heartbreaking news."

Wild Bird Fund said in its Instagram post that learning of Flaco's death was "a deeply sad day for all of us," acknowledging the bird's many fans. "Like you, like all of NYC, we are heartbroken," they wrote.

Per The Washington Post, the Central Park Zoo released its own statement about Flaco's death, expressing its desire to bring the person who vandalized the owl's cage to justice.

“The vandal who damaged Flaco’s exhibit jeopardized the safety of the bird and is ultimately responsible for his death. We are still hopeful that the NYPD, which is investigating the vandalism, will ultimately make an arrest,” the zoo said.