Philippine Eagle Found Dead, Another Setback in Fight Against Extinction
A Philippine Eagle was found dead in the southern province of Sarangani, authorities said Monday, in yet another blow to efforts to save the critically endangered raptors from extinction.
The eagle was believed to be four to five hours dead when it was found on the shore in Maasim town. It bore no tags or chips from conservationists, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources said.
Critically endangered means one step before extinction in the wild and two steps behind total extinction, asccording to the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources.
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The raptor, also called the Monkey-Eating Eagle because of its diet, is found only in the southern Philippines and has become a national symbol, appearing in the redesigned P1,000 bill.
In April, a Philippine Eagle chick that was hatched in captivity died in a python strike. In January, Pag-Asa, the first Philippine Eagle to be hatched in captivity, died after suffering from fungal and parasitic infections.
In June, a male raptor male named Salagbanog was released back to his forest home in the Saranggani mountains after nursing a wing injury for 18 months.
