Davao’s eagle sanctuary closes amid bird flu outbreak

Philippine Eagle Center in Baguio District, Davao City. PHILIPPINE EAGLE FOUNDATION

DAVAO CITY—The Philippine Eagle Center in Malagos, Baguio District here will be closed from August 15 to August 16 to assess the health status of its birds at the height of the avian flu outbreak.

“The avian flu outbreak poses a grave threat to the Philippine eagle population. This is to allow our team to set up necessary emergency measures and ensure the safety of the Philippine eagle and other raptors in the facility,” The Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF) said in a statement.

The PEF also said that they have yet to establish if this closure will be extended.

The PEF and its center, an 8.4-hectare area is located at the foothills of Mt. Apo and situated within the Malagos Watershed, is home to 27 captive-bred eagles and other raptors and other species.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) confirmed the avian influenza outbreak in San Luis, Pampanga. The DA has marked at least 132,500 birds in San Luis for extermination. JPV