PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium’s leader lauded his staff and the community’s effort to corral and rescue two pelicans that escaped from their habitat Saturday, while promising some changes to prevent a repeat.
CEO Dr. Jeremy Goodman said the two birds, Felicity and Joey, flapped their wings as some strong gusts of wind blew through the hilltop exhibit and generated enough lift to take off, even with clipped wings.
The two birds flew to the nearby Allegheny River and spent the afternoon being chased around by staff members and volunteers from other organizations until they were captured late in the afternoon.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> 2 pelicans rescued after escaping their enclosure at the Pittsburgh Zoo
“A bird escape is very difficult recapture a lot of times,” Goodman said. “It can be days, weeks, even months before a bird is recovered. So, for us to recover two birds in only a couple of hours is really just a testament to our team and the cooperation that we got from the entire community.”
Goodman said zoo staff routinely train for escapes as part of their accreditation. He said the list of changes being considered is more frequent wing trimmings, keeping the birds inside on windy days and habitat modifications.
PHOTOS: Search crews scour Allegheny River for pelicans that escaped Pittsburgh Zoo
The pelicans were two of the three who have lived with the zoo’s penguins since arriving in July 2025. They were found by wildlife rehabbers in Florida who determined the trio’s wing injuries made them unfit to live on their own.
Goodman said the injuries prevented the birds from flying high enough to be able to dive into the water to catch fish, which is an essential part of a normal pelican’s survival.
“Certainly no way releasable [to] hunt where they would be successful in the wild,” he summarized.
As for the birds themselves, staff said they were healthy upon their return to their exhibit, albeit a little tired from their adventure.
They also earned a fresh feather trim to make sure the equally tired staff could relax for the remainder of the weekend.
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