DAVAO CITY, Philippines—Despite the brutal killing of “Kasagbua,” a three-year-old male Philippine eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi), by hunters in July 2008, the Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF) released two more eagles at the Mt. Kitanglad Mountain Range in Bukidnon on Thursday morning.

The simultaneous release of the eagles was the first for the foundation since 2004.

“The experimental release will set the stage for a full-scale reintroduction of Philippine eagles in the future,” said Jayson Ibañez, research director of PEF.

The foundation released “Hineleban,” a captive-bred male Philippine Eagle hatched in 2006 and “Kalabugao,” a rescued and rehabilitated eagle, inside the protected Mt. Kitanglad Mountain Range, one of the last remaining rainforests in the country.

Mt. Kitanglad has become a focal point for Philippine Eagle research in Mindanao.

“Kalabugao” was injured when rescued in Impasugong, Bukidnon. Kalabugao sustained a .22-caliber pellet wound on her right leg and was brought to the Philippine Eagle center in Malagos in 2008.

“Their release in Mt. Kitanglad is another opportunity for us to understand the behavior of the Philippine eagle. The fact that Mt. Kitanglad is a protected area with a unique ecological diversity makes it suitable for this experimental release,” Ibañez said.

Monitoring of Hineleban and Kalabugao will continue for one month after their release Thursday and for seven days a month thereafter.

“This opportunity to release eagles to their natural habitat will hopefully end with Hineleban and Kalabugao dispersing and establishing territories of their own,” Dennis Salvador, PEF executive director said.

Salvador said radio and satellite transmitters were attached to the back of the eagles to help researchers and field biologists monitor their status and how they respond to their release environment.

Since 1986, the foundation has already released back to the wild seven rehabilitated eagles.

The PEF is at the center of efforts to protect the Philippine eagle.

The Philippine eagle, the world’s largest bird of prey, larger than the American bald eagle, was declared an endangered species in 1965.

In July 1995, President Ramos declared the Philippine eagle the national bird and considered an endangered species because of its rapidly declining population.

There are an estimated 400 pairs left in the wild today.