By Anna Valmero
DAVAO CITY, DAVAO DEL SUR—With less than 400 pairs left in the wild, the Philippine Eagle faces extinction as Filipinos continue to hunt and poach these iconic creatures.
Since December, the Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF) has rescued four Philippine Eagles, one of which died from fungal infection and multiple organ failure while two were severely injured.
PEF communications officer and birdwatcher Tatit Quiblat expressed alarm over the rate of retrievals of poached and wounded eagles.
“The recent rescue efforts showed that eagles are being taken away from their natural habitats in the rainforests. Many of the eagles we retrieved were reported or brought to us by individuals or groups who had good intentions for the birds,” Quiblat said.
This intention or concern, however, often translates to the incorrect thinking that people should “care” for the eagle by keeping it in human care, which results in the eagle suffering major injuries in the hands of untrained and unauthorized “rescue” attempts, Quiblat added.
The rescued eagles on December and January include a six-year-old female Philippine Eagle from Sibuco, Zamboanga del Norte that was missing two out of three toes on its right foot; and a one-year-old male eagle which is reported by an environment officer to have originated from Sitio Biasong, Don Salvador in Mati, Davao Oriental, respectively.
This month, PEF retrieved a juvenile Philippine Eagle that was retrieved from Sen. Ninoy Aquino, Sultan Kudarat that died later from multiple organ failure due to extensive fungal infection before its release; and a one-year-old eagle with only two primary feathers on its right wing, which was brought to PEF by residents of Sitio Biha, Barangay Tambobong, Baguio District, Davao City.
When held captive, “eagles get stressed, acquire diseases and develop abnormal behaviours such as becoming imprinted to humans which makes them not viable for release in the wild, said Quiblat.
“A fungal infection, like the one that killed the eagle from Sultan Kudarat takes months to develop and is closely associated to human activity. We thus believe that the eagle had been kept captive for a very long time,” Quiblat said.
Meanwhile, the missing toes of the eagle from Sibuco and the missing wing feathers of the eagle from Tambobong were injuries inflicted by humans. “Without the ability to grab prey or fly, the chances of survival in the wild for these eagles are practically zero,” Quiblat stressed.
The PEF is also urging law enforcement and judicial agencies under the Aquino administration for stricter enforcement of Republic Act 9147 or the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act.
PEF also urged local government units to advise their constituency to do the following guidelines when a Philippine eagle has been found:
Observe RA 9147 always. The law prohibits the killing, collection, possession and maltreatment of wildlife, their by-products, and derivatives, as well as activities which threaten critical habitats such as dumping of waste, burning, logging, quarrying, and mineral exploration and extraction.
Never touch or approach the eagle. It could harm you as much as you could harm it. Never approach its nest, eggs or chicks, as the eagle could be threatened by you and attack.
Just observe the bird. Take note of any apparent injuries and take photos without using flash, if cameras are available.
Call the proper authorities. Only PEF and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources are authorized to intervene and coordinate a rescue and retrieval operation if any Philippine Eagle is in imminent danger.
Quiblat also clarified that PEF or DENR only gives incentives to nestfinders, either an individual or community who provide information about active nests, breeding eagles, and/or newborn chicks. Communities hosting these eagle nests are rewarded at each milestone showing that the eagle family is thriving.
“More than being our national bird, the Philippine eagle is important because the abuse and harm caused on them show our recklessness in managing natural resources. Our economy is built on natural resources so the indiscriminate killing and plunder of these resources will only bring us backward,” Quiblat said.
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