Endangered eagle owls found abandoned in Kidapawan

KIDAPAWAN CITY—Two baby eagle owls, an endangered species, were turned over to authorities on Monday after these were found by a farmer in the village of Birada here.

Jeff Revilla, of the city government’s Call 911 emergency service, said the farmer, who did not want to be identified, personally handed over the baby owls to authorities.

Revilla quoted the farmer as saying that he believed the babies were left as their mother searched for food in a forest reserve near the Mount Apo National Park.

Revilla said the babies appeared to be healthy and were turned over to the city veterinarian’s office.

Dr. Eugene Gornez, city veterinarian, said the birds needed thorough care for them to survive without their mother.

“If these birds survive in captivity, they will be freed soon,” he said, adding that he was not sure how old the baby owls were.

The baby eagle owls were the latest additions to the wild birds that the city government is caring for.

In June, two Philippine eaglets were also turned over to the city government’s custody after these were found by a farmer in Barangay Nuangan.

Unlike the Philippine eagle, the eagle owl’s population is still significant.

But the International Union for Conservation of Nature said it is only a matter of time before the species goes extinct.

The Negros Forests and Ecological Foundation in Bacolod City is the first conservation center in the world to successfully hatch a Philippine eagle owl. It is also believed to have the only breeding pair of these owls in captivity anywhere in the world.

The center made world history in November 2005 when it successfully bred a Philippine eagle owl in captivity.

The Philippine eagle owl, or kuwago, is endemic to the lowland forests of Mindanao, Bohol, Leyte and Samar and in other parts of Luzon.

Eagle owls feed on small mammals and birds. Williamor Magbanua, Inquirer Mindanao

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