NEW HOME In this June 28 photo, the Philippine eagle named “Uswag” is seen flying in the forest of Burauen, Leyte, after he and a female raptor named “Carlito” are released in their new habitat. —PHILIPPINE EAGLE FOUNDATION PHOTO
TACLOBAN CITY—The Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Eastern Visayas (DENR 8) has strengthened its monitoring of the two Philippine eagles that were relocated last month from Davao to the forests of Burauen town in Leyte to ensure their safety.
Lormelyn Claudio, chief of DENR 8, said they needed to heighten the security for the raptors named “Carlito” and “Uswag” following the shooting that led to the death of a Philippine eagle named “Mangayon” in Compostela Valley, Davao de Oro on July 8.
She said they were alarmed by the killing of “Mangayon,” prompting them to take extra precautions to protect “Carlito” and “Uswag” that were set free in the forests of Burauen on June 28.
Transmitter device
“We will heighten our surveillance and monitoring for both Carlito and Uswag and we will ensure that they are protected,” she said in an interview on July 16.
READ: DENR: PH eagle habitat key to Apayao biosphere
According to Claudio, transmitter devices had been attached on the bodies of the two raptors, “enabling us to monitor their presence in real time.”
Claudio said forest guards, both from their office and those deputized by the local government of Burauen, were also assigned to the forests where the eagles were released.
The two Philippine eagles (Pithecophaga jefferyi) were released at the Anonang-Lobi mountain range situated in Barangay Kagbana, about 40 kilometers from the town proper.
Claudio said “Carlito” and “Uswag” appeared to have fully adapted to their new habitat.
“We are also optimistic that these two eagles will lead to an increase in the eagle population in our forests. Before the onslaught of Supertyphoon Yolanda, sightings of Philippine eagles were common in Leyte and even in Samar,” she said.
Supertyphoon “Yolanda” (international name: Haiyan) that hit the country on Nov. 8, 2013 left widespread destruction in the Visayas, particularly on Leyte and Samar Islands.
“Uswag” and “Carlito,” were flown to Tacloban City from the Davao City-based Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF) on June 11 before they were brought to Burauen town. Claudio said that with the “translocation” of these eagles from Davao, through the efforts of the PEF, they would ensure that these birds were not only protected but would also contribute to the repopulation of the species in Eastern Visayas.
Rescued raptors
“Uswag,” a Waray term for welcome, is a male eagle rescued from Mt. Apo in Davao City in 2023. It weighs 5.3 kilograms and is about 3 years old.
“Carlito,” on the other hand, is a 5-year-old female eagle, weighs 5.8 kg and was rescued from Trento, Agusan del Sur.
In the next four years, PEF plans to release eight more young eagles in the forests of Burauen and the rest of Leyte.
The PEF said the translocation of these eagles to Leyte is part of their program to have these “majestic birds” flying in the skies of the province and at the same time ensure their safety from shooting, trapping, clubbing, poaching and selling at their habitats in Mindanao.