Named Takoda — ‘friend to everyone’ — by the Mattagami First Nation and Flying Post First Nation, the ‘talon-ted’ young eagle is settling into life in Toronto after concerns that his comfort around humans could pose safety risks
A young, charismatic bald eagle named Takoda is stealing hearts across Ontario after a remarkable journey that began at a Northern Ontario gold mine.
While he is currently settling into his new role as an outreach ambassador, this “talon-ted” young bird first made his grand debut as the ultimate workplace supervisor at IAMGOLD’s Côté Gold Mine.
In September 2025, workers at the Côté Gold Mine near Gogama, Ontario, noticed a majestic new visitor on site. Instead of keeping his distance, the juvenile bald eagle decided to hang around, instantly becoming the mine’s most popular unofficial employee.
According to a Toronto Zoo Facebook post, the bird quickly captured the imagination of the workforce: “Many workers quickly became invested in the eagle’s well-being and kept the Côté Gold Environment Department informed of its presence and movements.”
After the eagle remained in the active mining area for more than 24 hours, the Environment Department stepped in out of concern for his safety and contacted the Turtle Pond Wildlife Centre in Sudbury.
An assessment by wildlife experts revealed why the eagle was so fond of his human coworkers: he was human-habituated, said the zoo. Because he lacked the natural fear of humans wild eagles need to survive, experts deemed him non-releasable. “Even though Takoda does not have any injuries, his interest in people would put both himself and humans at risk,” states the zoo. However, “It is his interest in people that inspired the local Mattagami First Nation and Flying Post First Nation to name him “Takoda,” which means “friend to everyone” in Western Sioux.
At just over a year old, Takoda is still sporting his youthful brown plumage. According to the zoo, it will take between four to six years for him to develop that iconic, snowy-white head. (Fun fact: the term “bald eagle” actually comes from the Old English word balde, meaning white).
Takoda has transitioned from mining life to the big city, and his caretakers are already raving about his bold, quick-learning personality. According to his care team, Takoda’s a quick learner, already picking up quickly on training and comfortably “going on a scale and landing on a bird glove daily.” The teams said he is “very comfortable with new things” as he takes in the sights and sounds of his new environment. One of his favorite dietary activities is “picking clean large bones.”
Takoda is also a splish-splash enthusiast, i.e. he absolutely loves taking baths.
And while his friendly nature makes him an incredible ambassador, the Toronto Zoo’s Facebook post states that Takoda serves as a living reminder of why we should never feed wildlife, noting that “one of the best rules you can follow to help protect wildlife is to admire from afar!”
Takoda is currently working behind the scenes with his care team and has slowly started venturing out to meet guests near the Discovery Zone, said the zoo. So if you’re headed that way this summer, keep your eyes on the skies, because this former mine dweller is officially ready for his glow-up.