CONSERVATION. Philippine Eagle "Uswag" explores the forest of Kagbana village in Burauen, Leyte during his release on June 28, 2024. A few months after the release and tragic loss of a Philippine Eagle, European experts will support the raptor reintroduction program in the province, an official said on Wednesday. (Photo courtesy of Philippine Eagle Foundation)
TACLOBAN CITY – A few months after the release and tragic loss of a Philippine Eagle, European experts will support the raptor reintroduction program in the province, an official said on Wednesday.
Jayson C. Ibañez, PEF director of research and conservation, said experts from the Czech Republic and Germany are committed to supporting the Philippine Eagle reintroduction program in Leyte by training their staff on artificial insemination techniques for conservation breeding of eagles for release.
“They will also support a local and international training and internship program for eagle releases in Leyte, build local and regional capacity for species reintroduction and raptor medicine, and rescue and rehabilitation through training and scholarships,” Ibañez said in a phone interview.
European experts will be at the University of the Philippines Tacloban College on Sept. 27 to talk about Philippine Eagle conservation.
“The talk is part of building local awareness about raptor conservation and also scoping for potential collaborators and partners,” Ibañez added.
The event is dubbed "Raptors in the Anthropocene: Strategies, Innovations, and Challenges," where experts dive deep into the conservation efforts for threatened avian species in the modern world.
Our international experts will discuss cutting-edge strategies to save apex predators and tackle emerging challenges in biodiversity conservation,” Ibañez said.
Aside from the PEF official, event speakers are Dominik Fischer, curator for science, Der Grüne Zoo in Wuppertal, Germany; Jan Hanel, curator for birds of prey, Liberec Zoo in the Czech Republic; and Adela Hemelikova, head of research and conservation, also of Liberec Zoo.
Experts will visit Leyte two months after the tragic death of male Philippine Eagle "Uswag" which accidentally crash-landed on the sea in Cebu.
The tragedy happened on July 30, over a month after the raptor’s release in the mountains of Burauen, Leyte, on June 28 as part of the PEF’s repopulation program on Leyte Island.
There were no signs that the Philippine Eagle was shot or injured before drowning based on examination.
“Uswag” is the 9th case of wild eagles accidentally crashing at sea in the country. However, he was the first reintroduced wild eagle and the first with a Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking device to crash.
The raptor is one of the two Philippine Eagles released on June 28 in the upland village of Kagbana, together with the female eagle “Carlito.” (PNA)
