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Farewell then, Flaco. In his short 14 years on Earth he was loved by many. Now, in death, he is making them think about their own lives.

Flaco the Eurasian owl once lived in New YorkA city in the USA. It is in a state also called New York. 's Central ParkAn iconic large park in the heart of New York City. Zoo. But last year someone secretly cut open his cage, letting him free into the night.

Lots of people looked for Flaco. But they could not find him and bring him home.

Instead, he lived free in the city. Some people see this time as a great adventure for the owl. He got to live in the wild, instead of being in a cage. They think we can learn from Flaco how to be more free.

But others are not so sure. Up to 250,000 birds die in New York every year when they fly into buildings. They are drawn towards light, but they cannot see the glass windows.

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Others eat rats from the street. But these rats have often eaten poison left out by humans, which hurts the birds.

Flaco died when he flew into a building. And, as many people point out: he did not choose to be free. A person made that choice for him.

Is freedom worth any price?

Yes! Life is about having the freedom to make your own choice. A life without freedom is not really lived at all.

No! It is not really helpful to die free. You are still dead. Flaco would have been much better off in the zoo where he would have been safe and well-fed.