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ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines – Wildlife rescue workers and environmental activists rescued an endangered Philippine eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi) with an injured wing in Lanao del Sur, brought it to Zamboanga del Sur for surgery, and subsequently to Davao del Sur for further care.
The injured eagle, christened “Bangsa Bae,” was found in the village of Piyangologan in Marogong, Lanao del Sur.
It was first brought to the Regional Wildlife Rescue Center (RWRC) in Zamboanga del Sur on February 9, said Roservirico Tan, head for strategic communications and initiatives of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in the Zamboanga Peninsula region.
Zamboanga del Sur provincial veterinarian Anita Chua, who is also the RWRC’s resident veterinarian, said the female eagle was in bad shape and needed immediate surgery.
Chua said Bangsa Bae was suffering from a bacterial infection that was already fast spreading beyond the injured right wing at the time she examined it.
After surgery, the eagle was sent to the Philippine Eagle Center in Davao del Sur for proper care on Saturday, February 12, according to Tungko Siakol, DENR director for the Zamboanga Peninsula.
It is now being looked after by the Philippine Eagle Foundation in Davao Region.
Benjamin Alangca, head of the Community Environment, Natural Resources, and Energy Office (CENREO) in Lanao del Sur, said Marogong resident Hadji Solaiman Olama first found the injured eagle, and informed environment authorities under the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) about his discovery.
Alangca said it was the first time for the DENR to document a Philippine eagle rescued and in human hands in the BARMM although there have been reports about sightings throughout the region.
Alangca said the eagle was named Bangsa Bae in honor of the women who fought for the Bangsamoro cause.
Bangsa Bae is the second Philippine eagle rescued by wildlife rescue workers and environmental activists in Mindanao since late 2021.
In January, the DENR and local officials freed a female Philippine eagle they named “Godod” after the Zamboanga del Norte town where it was found.
Godod also suffered wing injuries and was later released back to the wild after it recuperated.
DENR officials in the Zamboanga Peninsula said recent sightings of the critically endangered Philippine eagle were reported in the towns of Baliguian, Godod, and Siocon in Zamboanga del Norte; Midsalip in Zamboanga del Sur; and at the Pasonanca Natural Park in Zamboanga City. – Rappler.com
Frencie Carreon is a Mindanao-based journalist and an awardee of the Aries Rufo Journalism Fellowship.
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