Several Sightings Reported In Search For National Aviary's Steller's Sea Eagle Kodiak

By: KDKA-TV News Staff

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - There have been several sightings of Kodiak, the National Aviary's escaped Steller's Sea Eagle, but he still hasn't been caught.

Aviary officials gave an update on the search for Kodiak on Tuesday. Coordinated and strategic search efforts are still underway, and they're continuing to urge people who spot him to call 412-323-7235 immediately.

If you see him, don't approach him, and don't make any noises or movements in an attempt to get a closer look. Dr. Pilar Fish, the Senior Director of Zoological Advancement and Avian Medicine at the National Aviary, says some people have done that, and it has "complicated" the search.

Several sightings have been reported around the North Side, where the Aviary is, and Riverview Park.

Twice the size of a bald eagle and with a wingspan of almost 6 feet, Dr. Pilar says he likely won't be soaring around the sky. Instead, he'll be taking short flights from tree to tree.

Dr. Pilar says Kodiak is smart and healthy, and there aren't any health concerns at this time.

"He is strong and he has good innate instincts," Dr. Pilar said, adding that Kodiak can find food and could even possibly find his own way home.

How he escaped is still under investigation. The Aviary says the heavy gauge wire that serves as a roof in his habitat had a gap that hadn't been there before, which is "extremely unusual." The Aviary says employees check the habitats daily.

While there are cameras in the Aviary, Dr. Pilar says there aren't any that capture Kodiak's habitat.

Meanwhile, she says everybody at the Aviary is involved in Kodiak's recovery mission.

Royce Jones will have more on this story on KDKA Evening News.