New York City's belove owl named Barry was recently killed due to human error. Based on the reports, the elegant owl met its fate when it was accidentally hit by a truck. However, a new investigation revealed that there is much worse than Barry's 'accidental' misfortune. According to The Independent, the recent findings suggest that the owl had been contaminated with rat poison moments before it collided with the truck. The matter could be the sole reason why Barry was seemingly impaired in its flight ability, causing the devastating event in the city.
Barry the Owl in Central Park
Barry is a Barred owl that has been sighted in the city and was estimated to be 1-year old before dying in Central Park last August. The reports said that Barry 'made contact' with the massive maintenance vehicle. Due to the accident, a New York news line called The City requested a freedom of information to the city officials for the release of the details regarding the owl's death. Based on their findings, the owl could have possibly been affected by the side effects of rat poison, depleting its flight ability that has been honed throughout its lifetime.
The state's Department of Environmental Conservation branch called the Wildlife Health Unit conducted an examination on the owl's carcass. The initial results determined that Barry indeed died from blunt force trauma following the collision with the truck. However, additional information from the necropsy mentioned that the owl's liver contained bromadiolone and difethialone, which are compounds frequently found in rat poison.
New York: Rat Poison 'Lethal' But Not Intentional
The report said that the composition found in Barry's liver is lethal, but there is no clear evidence if it directly influenced the death of the owl, such as its natural ability to precisely divert its flight pattern from the incoming vehicle. But aside from the collision, there is a possibility that the barred owl was already affected by a fatal hemorrhage due to exposure from the bromadiolone. The chemical is usually an ingredient for poisoning animals that people consider pests such as rats, chipmunks, and squirrels. The report extracted from the environmental department of the state did not include evidence of intentional poisoning.
The New York City's park department, according to NBC News, said that they are not promoting and bans the use of rat poision in the vicinity. However, they have no control of the pesticide activities outside the premises of the park. This limits the investigation and discovery of the supporting evidence.
Animals thrive in the park to find their food supply, however, the limits of what can be extracted in the premises leave the animals no choice but to scavenge outside the park boundaries. The city's park experts said that they are continuously integrating their pest management for the benefit of the park, as well as the birds that reside in it, as it was already considered a habitat for most of the species in the city.
Barry was rescued last year after it was discovered in the towering Rockefeller Center Christmas tree. The tree originated 170 miles upstate of New York before becoming decoration in the middle of the city.
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