ILAGAN, Isabela – The rescued Philippine Eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi) that is currently under the custody of Mayor Edgar T. Go in San Mariano,Isabela will undergo initial steps towards rehabilitation process.
The eagle will be transferred to a larger cage to regain flight skills and where other rehabilitation procedures will be performed.
Environment Head in Isabela William C. Savella said the DENR Field Office in Region 2 has available facility to accommodate the eagle.
Director Theresa Mundita S. Lim of the Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau (PAWB) stated in her letter sent to the Mayor of San Mariano that the bird has to undergo a rehabilitation process prior to the release aimed at regaining the bird’s wild behavior such as hunting skills, flight and fear of humans.
Dir. Lim recommended the eventual release of the eagle back to its natural habitat preferably in capture site.
PENRO Savella divulged that the eagle which was rescued by a Dumagat in Sitio Diwagao, Dinapigue had undergone medical assessment by a veterinarian of the PAWB in Quezon City and discovered that the bird is under stress as indicated in the presence of “stress marks”.
Dr. Rizza Araceli Salinas, a veterinarian of the PAWB in Quezon City who undertook medical assessment of the eagle, revealed that the feathers of the captured 5 kilograms female eagle has stress bars and that the bird’s red and white blood cells counts are found within the normal range.
PAWB Staff of the DENR Central Office mentioned during the conduct of medical check-up that the Philippine Eagle is already tame because of its passive response to human presence.
The PAWB Director has initially contacted the Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF) to provide telemetry device to track the bird and ascertain its survival in the wild.
A team composed of DENR Region 02 and PAWB personnel will be conducting a site assessment in the area where the eagle was captured and will be released eventually.
The Eagle is globally recognized as threatened species. Capture and possession of threatened wildlife is strictly prohibited under Republic Act 9147 otherwise known as the Philippine Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act.
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