Saving Davao’s endangered species: Philippine eagle (Second of Two Parts)

Text and Photos by Henrylito D. Tacio
Once it is gone, it is gone forever.  Along with it is the disappearance of one of the country’s natural treasures and the sad reality of the state of our environment.
“When the last eagle dies, it shall be the sign of the worst yet to come: The death of our environment,” deplored Dennis Salvador, the executive director of the Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF), Inc.
The PEF is a private, non-profit, non-stock organization dedicated to saving the majestic Philippine Eagle.  It is the acknowledged leader in raptor and wildlife management in the country today.
“By using the Philippine eagle as the focal point of conservation, we are, in the process, saving wildlife and their habitat,” Salvador said, adding that PEF is committed to promote the survival of the endangered bird, the biodiversity it represents, and the sustainable use of forest resources for future generations to enjoy.
In 1992, PEF made history when it was able to hatch Pag-asa, making it the first tropical eagle born in captivity. “Pag-asa connotes hope for the continued survival of the Philippine eagle, hope that if people get their act together, it shall not be doomed to die,” Salvador pointed out.
In the past, Philippine eagles abound in the forests of Mount Apo and other parts of Mindanao.  They can also be seen flying over in the forests of Sierra Madre in Luzon and Samar and Leyte in the Visayas.
Today, Philippine eagles inhabit those places but their number has dwindled.  In fact, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources has declared the Philippine eagle as an endangered species.
Less than 400 pairs of Philippine eagles can be found in the country and about half of them are living in the forests of Mindanao.  The Philippine Eagle Center in Davao City houses more than a dozen pairs.
“The Philippine eagle is the largest predator we have,” Salvador points out. “By using the Philippine eagle as the focal point of conservation, we are, in the process, saving wildlife and their habitat.”
The Philippine eagle is second only to the Madagascar sea eagle in rarity.  In size, it beats the American bald eagle; it is the world’s second largest — after the Harpy eagle of Central and South America. 
This bird of prey was first discovered in 1896 by English naturalist John Whitehead in Samar.  He first called it the monkey-eating eagle because he thought it fed primarily on monkeys and gave it the scientific name, “Pithecophaga jefferyi.” The scientific name came from two Greek words: “pitekos” (monkey) and “phagien” (to eat).  Jefferyi was the discoverer’s tribute to his father, Jeffrey, who funded his expedition.
In 1978, the old name was dropped and given its present name through Presidential Decree No. 1732 after it was learned that monkeys comprise an insignificant portion of the bird’s diet, which consists mostly of flying lemurs, civet cats, bats, rodents, and snakes.
As stated earlier, Philippine eagle is a majestic bird as it stands a meter high, weighs anywhere from four to seven kilograms and has a grip three times the strength of the strongest man on earth, according to PEF.
With a wing span of nearly seven feet and a top speed of 80 kilometers per hour, the Philippine eagle can gracefully swoop down on an unsuspecting prey and carry it off without breaking flight.
Unlike men, Philippine eagles are monogamous.  Once it has selected a partner, it is for keeps forever.  “Once an eagle reaches sexual maturity — at around five years for males — it is bound for life with its mate.  They can be seen soaring in pairs in the skies,” PEF states.
According to PEF, the breeding season ranges as early as July to as late as February.  During the breeding season, the eagles do aerial courtship and mate in the nest or near it. 
The eagle’s nest is approximately 80 feet above the ground (usually on tall trees) in prominent mountain peaks overlooking a river or stream to give a good view of its territory.
The female eagle lays only one egg every two years, PEF informs.  Both parents alternately incubate the egg for about 60 days, although the female spends more time incubating while the male hunts.
Upon hatching, the eaglet remains in the nest for about 5.5 months.  Once it fledges, the parents will continue to look after the young eagle for as long as 17-18 months teaching it how to fly, hunt, and to survive on its own.  The young eagle matures in about six years.
“Our data suggests more than 90% of juvenile eagles die before they reach maturity,” discloses Salvador.  “A large part of this is caused by humans.  Eagles were shot, trapped, and hunted.”
But the biggest threat comes from denudation of the country’s forest cover.  Citing data from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Salvador was quoted by a national paper as saying that 90% of the forest cover in the country had been denuded due to human activities. 
“In each territory, the eagles are faithful to their nests and they like to live in large and old growth trees,” Salvador said.  “Unfortunately, based on deforestation data since the early 1900s, when nearly everything was green, now we are left with few old growth forests.”
Studies have shown that a pair of Philippine eagle needs at least 7,000 to 13,000 hectares of forest as a nesting territory.  “If Filipinos don’t get their act together for the cause of the endangered bird, it shall be doomed to die,” Salvador says.
Efforts to save the Philippine eagles started in 1965 by Jesus A. Alvarez, then director of the autonomous Parks and Wildlife Office, and Dioscoro S. Rabor, another founding father of Philippine Conservation efforts.
American aviator Charles Lindberg, who described Philippine eagle as “the world’s noblest flier,” spearheaded a drive to save the bird from 1969 to 1972.  Within this time frame, several helpful laws were passed.
In July 1995, then President Fidel V. Ramos signed Proclamation No. 615 naming the Philippine eagle as the country’s national bird (dislodging maya).  He said that the eagle is found only in the Philippines and as such should be a source of national pride.
“If the national bird dies,” Ramos said, “so will all the country’s efforts at conserving its natural resources and treasures.”
In 1987, the PEF and the Forest Management Bureau published a pamphlet on Philippine eagle. One of those that caught one’s attention is the words of the bird as if it was talking directly to human beings.  It goes this way: 
“I have watched forests disappear, rivers dry up, floods ravage the soil, droughts spawn uncontrolled fires, hundreds of my forest friends vanish forever and men leave the land because it was no longer productive.  I am witness to the earth becoming arid.  I know all life will eventually suffer and die if this onslaught continues.  I am a storyteller, and I want you to listen.”
The statement of Dr. Rabor is still apt and timely.  “We should do our best to save this wonderful creature because when it is gone, it is gone from the list of animals in the world.”