DAVAO CITY – Forest guards found earlier this month an endangered juvenile Philippine Eagle resting in the forest of Mount Apo here, the Philippine Eagle Foundation reported.
PEF Executive Director Dennis Joseph Salvador said that the eaglet was found by forest guards conducting foot patrol last Jan. 8.
The eaglet was discovered calling loudly atop a tree, PEF Director for Research and Conservation Dr. Jayson Ibañez said.
Ibañez said their biologists joined the forest guards in their patrol on Jan. 15 and took photos and videos of the eaglet using digiscoping techniques.
He said a meticulous inspection of the photos and videos of the eagle confirmed that it is a juvenile bird, estimated more than a year old.
“We know it is a juvenile based on its physiological attributes. Additionally, it exhibited behaviors consistent with a very young bird,” Salvador said.
Ibañez said the eaglet was clearly hatched in the wild. He added that there are living creatures like eagles living freely in the wild and that they must be protected.
The PEF announced the discovery of a new nesting territory in Bukidnon last year. After two weeks of expedition to confirm reports, a 10- to 11-month-old eaglet and its parent were verified.
“We cannot guarantee 100 percent that eaglet would be safe, but the presence and regular patrols of our forest guards can help protect the eaglet and its parents from harm,” Ibañez said. (Ivy Tejano)