The Philippines has a new Philippine Eagle chick!
The Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF) announced that a Philippine Eagle chick successfully hatched at the newly established National Bird Breeding Sanctuary (NBBS) in Brgy. Eden, Toril, Davao City on Nov. 11, 2024.
Dubbed "No. 30," for now, the Philippine Eagle Foundation views this as a "major milestone" for the conservation of Philippine Eagles and is the first-ever successful hatching at the new center.
Following a 56-day incubation period, the Philippine Eagle chick's survival is owed to a "critical intervention" done by a dedicated PEF team. This is called the "help out" method, which involves assisted pipping through the air spaces of the egg and was done to prevent the chick from suffocating due to excess carbon buildup.
Excess carbon buildup is a common risk when the hatching period is beyond a safe period.
This decision was "not made lightly" and was calculated, according to Mr. Domingo Tadena, NBBS' Facility Manager and PEF's Conservation Breeding Expert. "Without our intervention, the risk of losing this hatching to suffocation was high."
At the same time, the hatching is also a "historic feat" for the National Bird Breeding Sanctuary, which occurred mere months after its establishment. No. 30's hatching was also possible due to a donation of advanced equipment from Liberec Zoo in the Czech Republic.
The Critically Endangered National Bird of the Philippines: the Philippine Eagle
The Philippine Eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi) or "Agila" in Filipino, is one of the largest raptors in the world. It is an extremely rare eagle and can only be found in four Philippine islands: Luzon, Samar, Leyte, and Mindanao.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has categorized the Philippine Eagle as a critically endangered species.
There are only roughly 400 pairs left in the wild,according to the Philippine Eagle Foundation. Their "critically endangered species" status is owed to the threat of human activities near their natural habitat, such as deforestation and shooting. Killing a Philippine Eagle is a criminal offense and is punishable by law, with up to 12 years imprisonment and hefty fines.
Efforts have been made to save these eagles. Organizations such as the Philippine Eagle Foundation were made to spread the advocacy on protecting the Philippine Eagles and their importance to the Philippine ecosystem and culture.
The Philippine Eagle was declared the National Bird of the Philippines by former President Fidel V. Ramos in July 1995 under Proclamation No. 615, series of 1995. Among many laws, Republic Act No. 9147 or the Wildlife Resources ConservationandProtection Act of 2001,protects the Philippine Eagle and several other endemic species in the country.
Get to know more about Chick No. 30 or find out more about the Philippine Eagle Foundation through their Facebook and Instagram pages!
