Sponsors sought for release of 2 eagles

DAVAO CITY, Philippines  – The non-profit Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF) is looking for prospective sponsors to fund the planned release into the wild later this year of two Philippine eagles as part of its conservation efforts to save the already dwindling population of eagles.

According to Rolando Pinsoy, communications officer of the PEF which runs the Philippine Eagle Center here in Barangay Malagos, two raptors have so far been set for release although certain requirements would have to be met first.

There are at least 36 Philippine eagles now kept in custody at the Malagos Center.

The release of an eagle into the wild is also aimed at increasing the population of the Philippne raptor in the wild, which now stands at less than a thousand.

Pinsoy said that before being released back into the wild, a Philippine Eagle has to undergo a process and a substantial amount of at least P1 million is needed for each raptor.

Pinsoy said the amount includes expenses for the purchase of Global Positioning System (GPS) equipment such as radio and transmitter systems that could cost more than $3,000 to be attached to the bird.

The cost also includes expenses for the teams of qualified staff who would monitor the movement of the released eagles and the community to help educate the populace in the release site on the importance of conserving the Philippine Eagle.

The PEF pointed out that the two eagles to be freed were actually rehabilitated raptors that were earlier cared for in captivity as they recuperated from injuries sustained in the wild.

The first eagle was caught in April 2011 in Tambobong, Davao City, while the second eagle was caught in Minalwang, Claveria, Misamis Oriental last October.

Pinsoy said the PEF must also first secure a permit from the community entailing a free and prior informed consent from the barangays within and surrounding the release site.

The PEF will also have to conduct a suitability assessment in the area which shall include “Prey Base Analysis” to determine if the prey items or animals present in the release site can supplement the food requirement of the eagles.

A “Nest Substrate Analysis” shall also be conducted to study and inventory the trees within the area to check if these could hold the nests of the eagles.

Dipterocarp trees such as lauan, igem and other hardwood trees are the kind of trees which are used by the Philippine Eagles for their nests.

The PEF will then submit a proposal to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) for release of a Philippine eagle. If all requirements are met, the DENR will then issue a permit for the release of the Philippine eagle.

The eagle would also undergo an acclimatization process where the raptor will be brought to a Hack site for about a month or more.

The post-release monitoring is said to take as long as two years, until the eagle is deemed to be independent in the wild.

A team will have to follow the bird and monitor the dispersal pattern of the eagle, document its behavior (response to environment, response to other animals and when it will be able to hunt) while giving supplemental feeding to the bird.