PITTSBURGH \u2014 The Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium\u2019s leader lauded his staff and the community\u2019s effort to corral and rescue two pelicans that escaped from their habitat Saturday, while promising some changes to prevent a repeat.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> 2 pelicans rescued after escaping their enclosure at the Pittsburgh Zoo<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cA bird escape is very difficult recapture a lot of times,\u201d Goodman said. \u201cIt 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.\u201d<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n PHOTOS: Search crews scour Allegheny River for pelicans that escaped Pittsburgh Zoo<\/a><\/p>\n The pelicans were two of the three who have lived with the zoo\u2019s penguins since arriving in July 2025. They were found by wildlife rehabbers in Florida who determined the trio\u2019s wing injuries made them unfit to live on their own.<\/p>\n 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\u2019s survival.<\/p>\n \u201cCertainly no way releasable [to] hunt where they would be successful in the wild,\u201d he summarized.<\/p>\n As for the birds themselves, staff said they were healthy upon their return to their exhibit, albeit a little tired from their adventure.<\/p>\n They also earned a fresh feather trim to make sure the equally tired staff could relax for the remainder of the weekend.<\/p>\n Download the FREE WPXI News app<\/a> for breaking news alerts.<\/p>\n Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook<\/a> and Twitter<\/a>. | Watch WPXI NOW<\/a><\/p>\n TOP STORIES FROM CHANNEL 11 NEWS <\/p>\n \u00a92026 Cox Media Group<\/p>\n