A Philippine Eagle feeds inside its cage at the Philippine Eagle Center in Malagos, Davao City. MindaNews file photo by IVY MARIE MANGADLAO
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 17 February) – An official at the Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF) said he is hopeful 2024 will be a positive year for efforts toward the conservation of the country’s critically endangered national bird.
In an interview with MindaNews on Thursday, Jayson Ibañez, PEF Director for Operations, said he is basing his optimism on the recent transfer of the first batch of breeding Philippine Eagles to a new sanctuary in Barangay Eden and the collection of blood samples to be sent internationally for the first genome mapping of this critically endangered species.
On the night of Feb. 13, in line with the 37th anniversary celebration of PEF, seven eagles were transferred to the National Bird Breeding Sanctuary (NBBS), a new breeding facility situated in the 105-hectare city government-owned Eden Tourism Reservation Area at the foot of Mt. Apo.
A physical checkup conducted before the transfer found that only seven out of the originally planned eight eagles were deemed fit for transportation.
John Howe, Executive Director of RRP, shows live footage from a CCTV camera installed inside the breeding chamber a few minutes after the transfer of breeding eagles to the National Bird Breeding Sanctuary. MindaNews photo taken Feb. 14, 2024 by IVY MARIE MANGADLAO
“This has been the plan since 2022 to protect our Philippine Eagles from the threat of avian flu and exotic diseases. We know for a fact that these exotic diseases can really wipe out populations of endangered species, especially those in captivity,” Ibañez said.
He mentioned that the old facility at the Philippine Eagle Center (PEC) in Malagos is now completely exposed to threats of exotic diseases from poultry farms and game farms and with the ever increasing urban sprawl, many woodlands have been diminished, reducing the protective buffer of their breeding facility.
The annual checkup, which also assessed the health of other eagles in the center, was conducted in three batches, on Feb. 8, 11, and 13.
Ibañez noted that this year’s annual checkup is significant as it included collecting blood samples that will be sent to their partners at the California Academy of Sciences (CAS) in the United States of America, which will conduct the first genome mapping for the Philippine Eagle.
“This has never been attempted before, and I believe this would be the first for any threatened species in the Philippines,” he said.
Aside from the genome mapping for Philippine Eagles at the PEC in Malagos, which are all from Mindanao, Ibañez disclosed that CAS will also attempt to look into the population genetics of the wild Philippine Eagles in Luzon and Samar to know the detailed differences between the genetics of each island subpopulations.
“This would coincide with efforts to survey eagles in these islands and generate more biological and ecological information. And if there’s an opportunity to trap the birds and put GPS trackers, that’s the time that we would also collect blood samples for the population genetic study,” he said.
Another development is the installation of donated microchips for all 35 Philippine Eagles in the center during the physical check-up, unlike in the past where only a few were provided with these devices.
“These microchips are state of the art. They’re designed to measure the body temperature of the Philippine eagle, which is also an indicator of their general health and these are also important for identification. So, once you scan the chip, it would give you the designated ID number for that bird and also a measurement of its body temperature,” he said.
A veterinarian draws a blood sample from a Philippine Eagle during the annual checkup held on Feb. 11, 2024 at the Philippine Eagle Center in Malagos, Davao City. MindaNews photo by IVY MARIE MANGADLAO
According to Micah Punzalan, Business Unit Manager for Animal Health at Plaridel Products and Services Inc., who donated 36 microchips and two biothermal scanners, the chips last for almost a lifetime to forever since they don’t require an energy source unless mechanically damaged.
For the new breeding facility, CCTV cameras with 4K high definition for 24-hour surveillance were installed. These were donated by the Raptor Resource Project (RRP).
John Howe, Executive Director of RRP, said it’s an opportunity for them to contribute to research, ensuring the preservation and survival of the Philippine Eagle into the future.
“Also, the exciting part about it is it’s going to be public – the Philippine people and the world will get to see this amazing eagle on the website or YouTube. Who knows, in the future, we might have a camera in the wild, up on a wild Philippine Eagle nest? We’ll see how things go,” Howe said.
According to PEF’s latest estimates, around 392 pairs are left around the country, emphasizing the need to protect captive breeding eagles from avian flu and enhance breeding techniques for increased offspring, a goal the conservation group hopes to achieve with the transfer to NBBS. (Ivy Marie Mangadlao/MindaNews)