The Philippine Eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi) www.philippineeagle.org
MANILA, Philippines — Wildlife authorities confirmed on Wednesday, that two bullets killed Minalwang, the Philippine eagle that was freed in the wilds last August after two years of rehabilitation.
Investigators of the Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau (PAWB) also said some “animal-human conflict” might have led to the eagle being hunted down and killed in Misamis Oriental. The eagle was reported to have “attacked” a dog belonging to residents in the area.
Minalwang succumbed to infection, possibly from the gunshot wounds on his thigh. His lifeless body was found in the forest of Mount Lumot in Misamis Oriental, PAWB Director Theresa Mundita Lim said.
“It’s clear the eagle was being hunted,” she told the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
Based on the probe conducted by the PAWB, the eagle had actually been caught by locals on October 9 after it was seen “attacking” a pet dog. The eagle was reportedly released on October 10.
On October 11, members of the Davao-based Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF) tracked the eagle down and found its carcass in the forested outskirts of Gingoog City.
Two years ago, the wounded eagle was rescued in Barangay (village) Minalwang in Claveria, Misamis Oriental, by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources personnel after receiving reports from local tribesmen, the PAWB said.
The PEF released Minalwang into the Mount Balatukan Range Natural Park, also in Gingoog City, only on August 15, after it underwent rehabilitation for two years in a wildlife facility.
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