Alligators, dolphins and whales, oh my.
New York City had a flock of wild animal stories in 2023, a year that brought new meaning to the term “concrete jungle.”
Some of the tales were baffling, others inspiring, and many were blatant examples of animal cruelty.
There was Flaco, the Eurasian eagle-owl who escaped from the Central Park Zoo in February and defied the zoo’s attempts to lure him back.
His fairytale-like adventure, which made international headlines, coincided with another bird’s unfortunate rise to fame: Flamingo, a pink pigeon believed to have been dyed as part of a gender-reveal party.
February was also when an alligator later named Godzilla was rescued from Prospect Park and taken to the Bronx Zoo for care. He died months later and was found to have ingested a bathtub stopper.
In April, a peacock thought to have escaped from the Bronx Zoo was seen wandering around East 180th Street before he bit a man and then flew into a tree.
New Yorkers named the peacock Raoul.
The next day, a peacock returned to the zoo via direct flight.
This year, the number of dead whales turning up along the New York and New Jersey coastlines also increased for reasons scientists can’t conclusively explain.
Dolphins were also spotted frolicking in the Bronx River, in what’s likely a sign of improved water and better care for the environment.
Stray dogs turned up at the city’s animal shelters in alarming numbers, pushing them beyond capacity. One theory for the uptick: People just couldn’t afford their pets anymore.
The rats got bigger but didn’t win — at least not on the Upper East Side, where they were doused with carbon monoxide.
Spotted lanternflies also returned with a vengeance this summer, and did so ahead of schedule.
And this fall, Flaco was spotted around the East Village, reminding us all that life in NYC is full of surprises.
To close out the year, the Wildlife Conservation Society, the nonprofit organization that operates the Bronx, Central Park, Prospect Park and Queens zoos, as well as the New York Aquarium, has selected its favorite animal photos of the year. We’ve featured the New York residents in the gallery above.
Most of these animals were photographed in the Big Apple, exactly where you’d expect to find them: your local zoos.
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