TACLOBAN CITY- A young Philippine eagle was rescued last month in Maslog, Eastern Samar and is now under the care of the Philippine Eagle Foundation Center in Davao City to determine its physical condition.
The Philippine eagle, believed to be just three year old, was found inside a chicken trap in a deep forest in Barangay Carayacay, Maslog town on June 17 of this year, the regional office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said.
On that same day, Maslog Vice Mayor Septemio Santiago reported the discovery of the Philippine eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi) to the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) based at the nearby town of Dolores, also in Eastern Samar.
Immediately, upon learning on the rescued eagle, a team from the regional DENR office went to Dolores to conduct initial assessment on the eagle, which they named as ‘Maslog E.S.,’ referencing the town and the province where it was recovered.
“Sightings of the Philippine eagle is extremely rare and protecting them is a challenge,” Crizaldy Barcelo, DENR regional executive director, said.
The rescued Philippine eagle, while said to be in good condition, was brought to the Davao City-based Philippine Eagle Foundation Center on June 26 for further examination.
Maslog E.S will be released back to its natural habitat in the forests of Maslog town, a remote town in Eastern Samar, once it’s declared to be in complete good physical condition.
Barcelo said that the discovery of the said eagle confirms the ‘presence of this critically endangered species in Eastern Samar.’
“Its presence in our region is a testament that we still have healthy forests which we need to sustainably manage and protect,” he said.
A Philippine eagle was last seen in the forests of Calbiga, Samar and Taft, Eastern Samar in September 2014.
In 2013, a Philippine eagle was spotted near the boundaries of Baybay City, Burauen and Albuera, all in Leyte province and Silago, Southern Leyte, months before super typhoon ‘Yolanda’ struck the region.
Hunting of the Philippine eagle is strictly prohibited under the Philippine Wildlife Conservation Act of 2001 (Republic Act 9147) with penalties of up to 12 years imprisonment and a fine of up to P1 million.
The Philippine eagle was officially declared as the country’s national bird in 1995 by President Fidel V. Ramos.
It is endemic to the Philippines and can be found in the islands of Eastern Luzon, Samar, Leyte and Mindanao.
The Philippine eagle is one of the DENR’s priority threatened species for conservation and is listed as “critically endangered” per DENR Administrative Order No. 2004-15 on the list of terrestrial threatened species and their categories and under the International Union for Conservation (IUCN). (PR)
