Ailing Philippine Eagle found dead in Misamis Oriental

MISAMIS ORIENTAL — An ailing Philippine Eagle unable to fly was found and later died in Barangay Guinalaban, Salay, Misamis Oriental, in Northern Mindanao, on Friday.

According to a report, the eagle was found by children struggling to fly on the ground and was brought to the barangay hall, where it eventually died.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in Gingoog City is conducting an investigation into the cause of the raptor’s death.

The eagle was found days after a wounded female eagle was rescued in Magpet, North Cotabato. X-ray results showed that the bird, christened Magpet, had three gunshot pellet wounds and was brought to the Philippine Eagle Center in Davao City for treatment.

It was not known how the eagle ended up in the Misamis Oriental town.

Last month, the Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF) reported that three days of continuous rain helped contain a forest fire that was encroaching on and destroying a Philippine Eagle nest inside a sanctuary in Gigaquit, Surigao del Norte.

According to the PEF, after a long dry spell, the Bureau of Fire Protection, the local government disaster unit and two Mt. Apo Bantek Puwalas Indigenous Forest Fire Fighters worked on the ground to stop the fire from spreading and protect the remaining nesting territory, including an area where an eagle pair may already be nesting again.

“Then nature helped too: rain finally came for three straight days. One nest was lost, but thanks to the quick response from LGU Gigaquit, the rest of the forest was spared,” the report said.

The Philippine Eagle, one of the rarest and most powerful birds of prey in the world, is strictly protected under Republic Act No. 9147.

The law imposes severe penalties on anyone who hunts, harms, captures or kills endangered wildlife, including imprisonment of up to 12 years and substantial fines.

Rescued eagles fitted with GPS trackers

The Mount Kitanglad Range Natural Park in Bukidnon, one of the Philippine Eagle’s key strongholds, is the second-oldest known breeding territory for the species, with nesting activity documented continuously since 1986. It is also one of the longest-monitored Philippine Eagle nesting territories in the world.

The PEF said at least 12 rescued Philippine Eagles were fitted with Global Positioning System (GPS) trackers upon their release back into the wild to monitor their flights in their respective habitats across the country.

From 2019 to 2024, the foundation responded to 23 Philippine Eagle rescue cases across the country. At least 18 were victims of direct human persecution, having been shot, trapped or stolen from the wild as chicks.

“The highest number of human-caused cases we’ve ever recorded,” the PEF said.

“These 23 are only the ones we documented. We don’t know how many more majestic Philippine Eagles are still out there, still needing to be saved,” the report said.

At least 19 of the 23 rescued eagles are alive today, with 12 flying free with GPS trackers and seven safeguarding the species’ future in the foundation’s breeding program.

The PEF called for stronger community-led enforcement of wildlife laws to prevent eagle shooting and trapping.