Zoo's bald eagle flies the coop

A bald eagle flew the coop from an exhibit at the Gladys Porter Zoo Thursday and staff urges residents to be on the lookout with their "eagle eyes."

"We're not exactly sure where it is," zoo spokeswoman Cynthia Garza Galvan said.

The eagle, which is the nation's symbol, was spotted Thursday by the Boys & Girls Club nearby, but it was not located. "We need the public's help," Galvan added.

The eagle is blind in one eye and Galvan said staff doesn't think it can fly very well. If spotted, "it is very important not to startle it. Stay in your home and quietly call the zoo," Galvan said. The zoo's number is (956) 546-7187.

Staff was hoping the eagle would have returned because it is on a feeding schedule. "It hasn't as of yet," Galvan said.

For more on this story, read Saturday's The Brownsville Herald.