Philippine Eagle Sent to Singapore to Breed Dies at 19
He was supposed to save his species from extinction.
(SPOT.ph) Philippine eagle Geothermica, who served as species ambassador in Singapore, died after succumbing to a lung infection on September 7, as confirmed by the Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF). He was 19 years old.
Geothermica—also called Geo—was one of the Philippine eagles at the Mandai Wildlife Reserve in the city state. He was on a breeding loan program together with a female Philippine eagle named Sambisig (also called Sam) to save the local species from extinction.
During his time in Singapore, Geothermica brought awareness of the Philippines’ national symbol to the international scene to over 1.2 million visitors at the Mandai Wildlife Reserve.
“Geothermica was pioneer. He brought attention to the plight of his species to a larger, international audience,” PEF said in a Facebook post.
“Fly free, Geothermica. Your contribution as an ambassador for your kind will never be forgotten.”
There are an estimated 392 pairs of Philippine Eagles left as per PEF. Philippine eagles can live more than 40 years in captivity.
Also read: To Save This Pair of Philippine Eagles, They'll Be Sent Away
What happened to Philippine eagle Geothermica?
Geothermica was bred and hatched at the Philippine Eagle Center in Davao City.
In 2019, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources signed a wildlife loan agreement to transfer Geothermica and Sambisig to Asia’s largest bird park in Singapore. They were the first eagle couple to be placed under the breeding loan program between the Philippines and Mandai Wildlife Reserve.
The move was an “insurance policy” to ensure that there is “a set of gene pool outside the country that we can rely on and continue propagating,” according to PEF Executive Director Dennis Salvador.
The pairing attempt was initially “promising” as both eagles show no sign of aggression, but the couple failed to conceive in the past four years.
Geothermica was admitted to the avian hospital on September 6 after his care team observed that he was not feeding well. Initial blood tests found that he was fighting an infection. He died a day later.
“Geo’s medical condition took a turn for the worse. During his ongoing treatment at the hospital, Geo collapsed and had to be resuscitated twice,” Mandai Wildlife Reserve said in a statement. “X-rays taken earlier showed severe infection in his lung, leading to a guarded prognosis. Preparation is being made for a necropsy and lab tests to get a definitive diagnosis.”
PEF is currently in wait whether a replacement Philippine eagle is due for Singapore as Sambisig remains alone at the Mandai Wildlife Reserve.
Also read: Philippine Eagle Found Dead, Another Setback in Fight Against Extinction