Species.

Species.

Unite.

How could this owl, who's born in captivity,

lived his whole life in a cage, how could he possibly survive?

He's going to be dead in a few days.

That's what everybody thought.

Hi, I'm Elizabeth Novogratz.

This is Species Unite.

In February 2023, a Eurasian eagle owl named Flaco made headlines and captured hearts

when he escaped from his small enclosure at the Central Park Zoo.

Born in captivity and unable to fly or hunt, Flacco defied every expectation. In just weeks,

he taught himself to fly across the Manhattan skyline, hunt for his own food, and live as freely

as an owl could in New York City. For more than a year, New Yorker spotted him perched in Central Park

on high rises, even outside their own windows, cheering him on as a symbol of resilience and freedom.

This conversation is with attorney and lifelong animal advocate Christine Mott.

She has a mortalized Flacco story in her new children's book, Freebird, Flaco the Owls, Dreams Take Flight.

It's told from Flacco's perspective and celebrates courage, hope, and the right of all animals to live free without cages or confinement.

Welcome, Christ. Thanks for having me. I'm thrilled to be joining you today's chat. We're here to talk about your new book, your kid's book, called Freebird, Flock of the

Al's Dreams Take Flight. It's so good to have this story back in the

zeitgeist because it's truly one of the best stories, I think, animal stories that's happened in

New York in a very, very long time. That's honestly one of the reasons I wrote it. Flaco's story was

...