Skip to main content

The Philippine Eagle, Some Good News


Even as a child in the Philippines in the 1960s, I was aware of this great bird of prey that was the subject of reports by the National Geographic Society and Life magazine. The aviator Charles Linbergh came to the Philippines and helped focus the world's attention on this eagle and what has been its constant nemesis--- extinction. Through the dedicated work of conservationists and their backers, the future of the Philippine Eagle ( Pithecophaga jefferyi) is no longer as grim as before.

The Agence France-Presse recently reported on the 22nd Philippine Eagle born and bred in captivity. It is in good health and fed a nourishing meal of ground quail meat. It is still without a name. Evidently, the Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF), organized in 1987 and situated in Davao, allows individuals or companies to name the chicks if they donate at a certain level. It's all for a great cause, obviously. The center estimated that only 600 of these eagles are left.

The Philippine Eagle is considered one of the three largest eagles in the world. When fully grown, the eagle's wing span can measure up to an awe-inspiring 6.6 feet. Another remarkable aspect of the Philippine Eagle is its longevity. The PEF reported that the Rome zoo took in a fully grown eagle in 1934, and that eagle lived till 1976. Another example comes from the Philippine Eagle Center itself where a young eaglet arrived in 1969 and it is still alive today.

If you want to learn more about the conservation efforts involving the eagle, please click on the link I provided above for the Philippine Eagle Foundation. Here is also some further reading:

http://www.nwf.org/nationalwildlife/article.cfm?issueID=104&articleID=1318

Photo credit: Philippine Eagle Foundation

Comments

Anonymous said…
i really hope the people who take care of these precious treasures are "different" and can make a difference. this beautiful animal is one of the few cultural icons my country has left. if they go extinct, the memory of my country and what it used to be might die with it.

but the fact that there's some good news brightens my day. i hope and pray with all of my being that the Philippine Eagle (Haribon) will continue to live without fear and soar in our skies, inspiring the people who share its land.

Popular posts from this blog

Three Members of the Philippine Shooting Team and the Killing of Protected Philippine Wildlife

When a member of the animal or plant kingdom goes extinct, there will be no second chances. Evolution will simply not repeat itself. There are reportedly eighty bird species that are unique to the Philippines and many of them have already made it to the endangered list. And we, to a great extent, have indiscrimate hunting to thank for it. In spite of two national laws protecting Philippine animals, the carnage continues unabated. The killings could occur as arbitrarily as guys getting together for macho time, or as a result of a well-planned hunting trip involving speed boats, bird callers, and camouflaged outfits. Either way, the outcome is the same. Philippine wildlife, our natural treasures, inches closer to a state of irreparable vacancy. Not too long ago, we learned about the Bacolod Air Rifle Club (BARC) whose unbridled killing of Philippine birds and ducks became the subject of an online petition calling for immediate government intervention. My post on that most disturbing c...

William Baber, Tennessee Vet Gone Bad.

Euthanasia is suppose to be merciful. When William Baber had his way, it was far from it. Baber used the very cruel " heart stick " method minus the sedation. This means that the animals could spend as long as 30 agonizing minutes before death actually occurred. Undercover video showed that William Baber even stepped on the animals to immobilize them for the injection. Do I sound like I am describing an executioner and not a veterinarian? Very sad, isn't it? The video showed dogs’ tails visibly wagging and cats are flailing before they’re given the lethal injection . "It’s just a horrible, horrible way for an animal to die,” said former euthanasia technician June McMahon. Tennessian.com reported that " still conscious, the cats were described by inmates as 'going wild' after being placed in a container, with as many as 10-15 of them being dumped on top of each other in a 'cruel manner,' authorities allege.These animals were allegedly placed ...

Ringling Bros. Elephant Acts to be Abolished. Nothing to be Excited About. March 2014.

This is today's big news. It is all over the newspapers. Different animal rights organizations have made their respective announcements. Many people, particularly animal right advocates are celebrating.  No reason to celebrate, sorry If you believe that Ringling can commit an act that benefits their enslaved animals, any animal for that matter, I have a tall building on 34th Street to sell you. Altruism is not the motivating factor, but their profits. Why three years from now? If they have the money to keep the elephants for three more years, they certainly have the money to release them to sanctuaries NOW. It's a ploy to lull AR groups into a state of complacency, and e ase up on the pressure.  I don't think that will happen. The AR groups will persists simply because elephants are not the only enslaved animals in circuses. All of them have to be sent home for us to truly celebrate a victory. As for now, Ringling will tread water and watch if their image will recov...