DENR checks up rare Philippine eagle rescued in Isabela

SAN MARIANO, Isabela –The Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau (DENR-PAWB) checked the physical condition of a Philippine Eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyii) which was temporarily put in a giant cage under the custody of a town mayor. Dinapigue Mayor Edgar Go earlier reported custody of the eagle after it was rescued by a Dumagat hunter in Barangay Diwagao in their coastal town. Dr. Rizza Araceli Salinas, a veterinarian of the PAWB in Quezon City, undertook a medical assessment of the five-kilogram female eagle and she said that its feathers have stress marks but its white blood cells count was normal. Planning Officer Loreli Salvador and Animal Caretaker Glenn Morales of the Philippine Raptors Conservation Project noted that the eagle sports a crest of feathers on the top of its head. When the bird settles down, its feathers give it a cute and floppy look, some visitors noticed. “Eagles are fed four times a week. When it is a feeding day, we place thawed food inside the captive cage. When the female has her meal secured in her massive talons she will fly to her favorite perch in the aviary’s front right corner. This is a wonderful feeding habit as this perch is just inches away from visitors," Salvador said. The eagle will be released to its natural habitat as soon as it has completed undergoing rehabilitation. PAWB workers will investigate the circumstances of the eagle’s capture. Isabela Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer William Savella said the DENR and Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF) officials were planning to place a radio and satellite telemetry tracking device on the eagle before releasing it back to wild. – MRT, GMA News