PHILIPPINE hawk-eagle and an owl were rescued in separate incidents in Central Luzon after a farmer in Aurora and a six-year-old boy in Pampanga found the weakened birds and turned them over to authorities for treatment and eventual release back into the wild. Photographs courtesy of Mabalacat ENRO
NATION

Raptors rescued in C. Luzon

Jonas Reyes

Two birds of prey recently found a helping hand, showing that people still care deeply for the environment.

In Baler, Aurora, a farmer spotted a weak Philippine hawk-eagle in his rice field at Barangay Suklayin on 7 February. He took the bird home, kept it in a cage, and later handed it over to the Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office (MENRO) of Baler. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) quickly provided medical attention, and the eagle will be examined by a veterinarian before being released back into the wild.

Meanwhile, in Mabalacat City, Pampanga, a six-year-old boy named Conner Lucas Yabut rescued an owl being chased by a cat near Clark Airport on 2 February.

Conner asked his father for help, and the wounded, weak owl — affectionately named ChiChi — was turned over to the Mabalacat City ENRO for care.

“Thank you for caring for wildlife — even at such a young age, you already know how to take care of nature,” the ENRO said, praising the boy’s compassion.