The great debate continues over Flaco the eagle-owl spotted recently flying around our home on New York’s Upper West Side, a year after he got loose from the Central Park Zoo: should he continue to roam the city freely, feeding on rats, or should he be put back in captivity for his own welfare?

He’s a big bird, six-foot wingspan, bright orange eyes, and he’s gained a considerable fan base, most of whom are rooting for him to be free. Some renowned owlologists, however, feel the bird is in danger, primarily from rat poison but also from vehicular birdicide, and needs to be rescued from his urban habitat.

Apparently Flaco is roaming the city widely, in search of a mate, which he is extremely unlikely to find in Manhattan, even if he turns out to be gay. There was a female eagle-owl, Gladys, at a zoo in Minnesota but she escaped and was run over by a truck. Eurasian eagle-owls (Bubo bubo) are found in Russia and Asia, not migratory to a great extent; Flaco was hatched at a bird centre in North Carolina 14 years ago. Life expectancy is 20 years but eagle-owls can live much longer in captivity, 30, perhaps more, and there’s the question: a short life of adventure or a long, pleasant life in captivity.

I voted for captivity 30 years ago when I met my Gladys and I’m quite happy with it, so I vote for female eagle-owls, Flo, Mavis, Delores, Maureen, to be flown in from Asia and tethered in the Park where Flaco can spot them, and when he dives in to select a mate, the orni-cops can jump in and seize him in flagrante delicto.