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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider 2 critically endangered PH eagles released in Leyte—DENR

2 critically endangered PH eagles released in Leyte—DENR

Published Jun 29, 2024 07:11 am
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(Photo courtesy of the DENR)

Two critically endangered Philippine eagles were released to a prime eagle habitat in Burauen, Leyte province, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said on Saturday, June 29.

The DENR said that the release aims to boost the population of the critically endangered Philippine eagle across the country.

Leading the ceremonial release of the eagles on Friday, June 28, were DENR Secretary Maria Antonia “Toni” Yulo-Loyzaga, First Secretary of the Australian Embassy to the Philippines Kathlyn Gonzales, Mohamed Bin Zayed Raptor Conservation Fund CEO Dr. Munir Virani, PEF Trustee and Insular Life Foundation Vice Chairman Raoul Littaua, and Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF) Executive Director Dennis I. Salvador.

According to the DENR, the eagles named "Carlito" (rescued in 2022) and "Uswag" (rescued in 2023) were airlifted from the Philippine Eagle Center in Mindanao on June 11 to their new home at the Marabong Watershed in the Anonang Lobi Range Key Biodiversity Area, Barangay Kagbana, Burauen town, Leyte.
 
“This moment not only marks the return of these birds into the wild, but a realization of a long-term plan for a reintroduction of our national bird in Leyte Island where it once thrived,” Loyzaga said during the event. 
 
The agency said both eagles were fitted with a 70-gram solar-powered GPS/GSM tracker for remote monitoring after their release.

“They were given a clean bill of health after a general medical check-up last February,” the DENR stated.

Leyte, per PEF, is one of only four islands where Philippine eagles are recorded. Eagle records on the island were scarce, with no eagles seen or reported after super typhoon Yolanda in 2013.

“It appears that the eagles have been extirpated in Leyte,” PEF’s Dr. Jayson Ibañez said.
 
The environment department said the island still has 91,000 hectares of suitable eagle habitats in two Key Biodiversity Areas (KBA).

The DENR, PEF, and their partners invested in building awareness and networks with key stakeholders—including local government units, academic institutions, civil society groups, and local communities—to protect the forest and prepare it for future eagle releases.

To care for the two Philippine eagles, PEF stated that they would organize, train, and engage at least 25 local forest guards to assist with release and post-release activities. They will also run behavioral change campaigns with communities near the dispersal or temporary settlement areas of the released eagles as needed.

The DENR and PEF will re-train, deputize, and engage at least 25 local forest guards from Barangay Kagbana in Burauen, the host community for the release, as Wildlife Enforcement Officers.

“The forest guards will also follow the trail of the eagles after they are released, provide food/prey supplements when needed, and conduct education campaigns among residents living close to the eagle’s location,” the DENR said.

Classified as critically endangered, the Philippine eagle or Pithecophaga jefferyi is among the rarest and most powerful birds of prey globally. This classification is based on evaluations by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), with its Red List being the most extensive inventory of species' conservation status worldwide. The Red List assesses the extinction risk of thousands of species, continually updating classifications with the latest scientific data.

The Philippine eagle is legally protected under Republic Act No. 9147, the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act, which forbids the hunting, killing, capturing, possessing, selling, transporting, or trading of the bird without authorization.

It is also listed in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), restricting international trade to exceptional cases for scientific research or conservation purposes

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