By Ellalyn De Vera-Ruiz
A year after the first pair of captive-bred Philippine eagles were brought to Singapore, "Geothermica" and "Sambisig" are "becoming comfortable" in their new home at the Jurong Bird Park, according to the Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF).
"They are both healthy and are eating well. They also groom themselves regularly by preening or cleaning their feathers with their beaks. They also like to bask in the sun and even in the rain," the PEF said in its website.
"The pair is observed to be getting along better and are often seen perching close to each other," it added.
The Foundation assured that while the Jurong Bird Park has temporarily closed their facilities to the public due to the COVID-19, the birds remain safe and are well cared for.
"Geothermica" and "Sambisig" left for Singapore on June 4, 2019 through a 10-year international wildlife loan agreement, a first of such agreement for the critically endangered bird, as agreed upon by the Philippines' Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and Wildlife Reserves Singapore (WRS).
The program aims to ensure the survival of the species and as a fallback population in the event of catastrophic events, like disease outbreaks or extreme natural calamities, taking place in their Philippine habitat, DENR Secretary Roy Cimatu said.
Aged 15 and 17 years old, respectively, male "Geothermica" and female "Sambisig" were loaned from the Philippine Eagle Center in Davao City for conservation breeding and public education to promote global support for its conservation.
They are a pioneering pair of Philippine eagles to be placed under an international wildlife loan agreement.
Since they left the Philippines, the two have been staying at Jurong Bird Park, the largest bird park in Asia that is home to close to 3,500 birds across 400 species, of which 20 percent is threatened.
"Geothermica seems to like his personal space neat and tidy and spends most of his time arranging his nest to his liking. He also likes observing people and buggies that pass by his enclosure from a high vantage point," the PEF said.
Meanwhile, "Sambisig is a little more feisty than Geothermica and not into housekeeping much. As observed by her keeper, she likes to throw out the majority of her nesting materials," the statement said.
"She also prefers bathing and knocking CCTV cameras out of alignment in her spare time. Like Geothermica, she likes to people-watch, but does so perched on the lower beam of her enclosure," the PEF added.
Known as the largest of the extant eagles in the world in terms of length and wing surface, the Philippine eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi) is listed as a "critically endangered" raptor in the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List and the country’s National List of Threatened Species under DENR Administrative Order 2004-15.
Wild population of the species throughout the archipelago remains precarious with an estimated number of at least 340 pairs.
Hunting and loss of forest habitat remain the primary threats to its survival.