Wounded Philippine eagle rescued

TACLOBAN CITY—A Philippine eagle with a shotgun wound in the breast has been rescued from the mountain village of Buluan in Calbiga, Samar.

It is now recovering in a cage in the compound of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Eastern Visayas (DENR-8) in Tacloban City, Leyte.

The rescue of the mighty bird “means only one thing—the Philippine eagle is still in … Samar, particularly in areas where there are virgin forests,” said Danilo Javier, DENR-8 regional technical director for protected areas, wildlife and coastal zone management services.

It was the first time that the Regional Eagle Watch Team (REWT) had retrieved a live Philippine eagle since it was formed 18 years ago.

Loss of blood

The bird was already weak from loss of blood when Pastor Abanag found it on the ground in Buluan on June 23.

Abanag and his colleagues sought the help of village teachers, who cleaned the bird’s wound and administered an antibiotic, said REWT-8 leader Arnulito Viojan.

Accompanied by veterinarian Stephen Toledo and a member of the National Wildlife Rescue Center, Viojan was able to collect the bird on July 1.

He quoted village chairman Mario Galvez as saying that a pellet had been removed from the bird.

Viojan said the bird might be released into the wild in two or three weeks.

“We hope that we can attach a radio transmitter to it so its home range can be determined,” he said.

Discovered 115 years ago

The Philippine eagle was discovered in Samar 115 years ago by English explorer and naturalist John Whitehead. It may also be found in eastern Luzon, Leyte and Mindanao.

Viojan earlier told the Inquirer of sightings of the bird this year on Mounts Lublob, Nahulopan and Guintubli in Sulat, Taft and Maslog, respectively, in Eastern Samar; Huraw in San Jose de Buan, Samar; and Capotoan in Las Navas, Northern Samar.

Earlier sightings were in Burauen, Leyte; Jaro, Leyte; and Calbiga and Basey in Samar.

Viojan said that since he assumed leadership of REWT-8, all he had previously seen were parts of dead eagles in areas where sightings had been reported.

“But now we have a live one,” he said.

Taking pictures of the eagle or getting close to it is prohibited.