The eagle has landed.
Kodiak, a Steller’s sea eagle who escaped from the National Aviary in the fall, is ready to meet and greet his fans in a new and improved habitat at the North Side bird zoo.
“Kody,” as he is known to his friends and keepers, was trending on social media and extensively covered in the mainstream media after he escaped from his habitat on Sept. 25. Thanks to day-and-night search efforts by aviary staff and hundreds of phone call tips from the public, Kody was found in Pine on Oct. 3 and returned to the aviary, where he has lived for 15 years.
Since that time, he has lived “off exhibit” — behind the scenes — while repairs and improvements were made to his living quarters. On Friday, his new digs were unveiled and Kodiak was reintroduced to the public. His bald eagle neighbors also got habitat upgrades.
By the way, Kody is bigger than a bald eagle. Steller’s weigh 11-21 pounds, according to the National Audubon Society website.
The eagles now have space for perching and roosting, ponds for bathing and playing, natural plants, and higher walls.
After Kodiak flew the coop, there were many posts and photos on social media. Some people cheered and congratulated him on his great escape, telling him to fly high and enjoy his freedom. That was rude and wrong in my opinion. Kody probably couldn’t survive “in the wild” in Pittsburgh. He’s a bird of prey who has never learned how to hunt. He’s a sea eagle, not a river eagle.
Steller’s sea eagles are native to eastern Russia, northern Japan and the Korean peninsula. Their status is “vulnerable” in the wild, where only 4,000 live, according to Audubon. They hunt and eat fish, seafood and small animals, including ducks and gulls.
In one of the social media photos that I saw, Kody was standing in the middle of a North Side street, looking dazed and confused. The people in the photo looked as if they knew they were seeing a rare and special sight.
Kodiak initially hung out in the North Side, not far from his aviary home. Then he started moving north. Residents of a Pine neighborhood called the aviary on Oct. 3, and staff rushed to the scene.
Kody “recognized one of his caregivers and made eye contact,” according to a report on aviary.org. The staff safely captured him with soft nets. Aviary veterinarian Pilar Fish examined him and said he was in good shape and good health.
Construction of the new eagle habitats was delayed by supply chain problems, according to aviary officials. The eagles live in what is now called the Charity Randall Foundation Eagle Hall.
Happy endings
Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh asked for help, and local animal lovers responded. When staff reported earlier this month that the number of dogs in their shelters was high, adopters stepped up.
“HARP is grateful for the response by Pittsburgh’s animal lovers and thanks everyone who spread the word or opened their home to a new companion,” said a news release.
From May 3 through a Mother’s Day special event, 101 animals, including 31 adult dogs, were adopted or reunited with their families.
HARP, which operates shelters in Homewood and the North Side, has a contract with Pittsburgh animal control. They take in strays and lost pets and scan for ID microchips to try to locate the owners.
Go to humaneanimalrescue.org to learn more, and to view adoptable animals.
Linda Wilson Fuoco: lfuoco@post-gazette.com or at PG Pets on Facebook.
First Published: May 21, 2022, 10:00 a.m.
