A critically endangered Philippine cockatoo, locally called "katala," has successfully bred after it was released back in the Dumaran Island Critical Habitat in Palawan.
According to non-government organization Katala Foundation Inc. (KFI), "Gold," a female cockatoo, was named after the color of its leg band, bearing the number DENR (Department of Environment and Natural Resources) 055-16.
Gold was among five cockatoo hatchlings rescued due to lack of food caused by the extreme dry months in 2016. When it was rescued in May of 2016, KFI noted that Gold weighed only 60 grams.
The rescued cockatoos were brought to the Katala Institute in Narra, Palawan for proper care and rehabilitation.
"This is one success story we are proud of. To rescue hatchlings is a tough decision to make and the great challenge is releasing them back to the wild and monitoring whether they are accepted by the wild flock. So far we have been lucky in Dumaran with our re-introduction since the integration of the released birds is well accepted by the wild individuals," KFI species conservation programs director Peter Widmann said in a statement.
"We have done supplementation of the natural population in Dumaran since 2014 to help the aging population of existing cockatoos on the island. Rescued katalas either from starvation or persecution or poaching, are rehabilitated at the Katala Institute in Narra. If found fit, they are later released in Dumaran. Birds undergo the soft release program where they are acclimatized to the natural environment, fed with natural foods and learn basic training such as avoiding predators. "They are also monitored carefully," he added.
Widmann said Gold came back to Dumaran Island in August 2016 and was released to the wild in January 2017.
"The supplementation is also a way of improving the genetic diversity of the species," he said.
The supplementation initiative is part of the joint Philippine cockatoo conservation efforts with the DENR and PCSDS.
Michael Plazos, field officer for Dumaran under the Philippine Cockatoo Conservation Program, said that seeing the cockatoos flying after having seen them starving back in 2016 and now successfully breeding "is just incredible and overwhelming."
"Our collective decision to rescue was then worth all the hassles. It is just so great a relief," he said.
Maximo Pineda, who is in-charge of checking Gold's nest, expressed fulfillment knowing that the cockatoo was able to integrate with the wild population and finally bred with a healthy hatchling this year.
KFI also underscored the awareness and vigilance of Dumareños in monitoring the birds.
The global population of the katala is between 640-1,120 and 70-90 percent of this could be found in Palawan.