Philippine Eagle Sinabadan ready to conquer own territory


Sinabadan was seven months old when its father was shot and killed by hunter.

Its mother was forced to take care of the Sinabadan, working double time to fend for the orphaned eaglet.

Today, Sinabadan is a fledging juvenile eagle, and is ready to conquer its own territory as the hard-working mother has seemingly found a new mate.

The story of Sinabadan offers a ray of hope for the conservation of her species, the Philippine Eagle.

Scientifically named Pithecophaga jefferyi, the Philippine Eagle is endemic to the Philippines. It is the rarest of all birds of prey and considered as the largest in the world.

The population of the Philippine Eagle, only about 400 pairs left in the wild, are concentrated in the main islands of Luzon and Mindanao, and in Samar and Leyte provinces in the Visayas.

Unfortunately, the Philippine Eagle, also called the monkey-eating eagle, is considered still critically endangered or in the brink of extinction, said Dennis Salvador, executive director of the Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF).

Most eagles killed by hunters are victims of senseless killing, Salvador said. Nearly half of the total of 16 rescued eagles that were released into the wild were shot and killed after a few months upon their release, he noted.

“Many of those we rescued and released back into the wild were killed. The primary survival issue is human persecution,” he added. He said the eagle’s habitats, especially in Mindanao, have fragmented forest. 

Philippine Eagle Sinabadan is now more than two years old and is ready to claim her own territory. Photo courtesy of the Philippine Eagle Foundation

Despite being raised by a single parent, Sinabadan is healthy, said Ana Maria I. Lascano, field and attending veterinarian of the PEF.

In her report, Lascano said Sinabadan is “apparently bright, alert and responsive, with good appetite and in good state of health” before she was released on the same day upon examination. 

The PEF closely monitored several eagles, including Sibulan, through a Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) transmitter, or tracking device, to determine the eagles’ exact location and the areas they had been to. GPS transmitters help scientists study animal behavior in the wild by knowing where they go, how long they stay in a place, or where they spent the night or day to rest.

“It [Sinabadan] could have not survived had its mother decided to abandon it, which is commonly observed among the species,” Jayson Ibanez of PEF’s Research and Conservation Department said.

Here is an appeal to hunters.  Stop shooting those eagles.  Please.

 

Nature's pharmacy and wildlife sanctuary

The Mount Mantalingahan Protected Landscape (MMPL) in Palawan province is a rare find.

This Protected Area located 140 kilometers souteast of Puerto Princesa City is both a wildlife sanctuary and nature's pharmacy.

It is said to have abundant supply of plants with pharmaceutical values.  

People depend on its bounty for food, shelter and medicine.

MMPL has a total land area of 120,457 hectares.

In Photo: View of Mount Mantalingahan from Ransang, Rizal, Palawan DENR-BMB National Parks Division

It encompasses the five towns of Quezon, Rizal, Sofronio Española, Brooke’s Point and Bataraza. It is a protected landscape by virtue of Proclamation 1815 signed on June 23, 2009, by former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

The Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said Mount Mantalingahan, from which the MMPL got its name, is a key biodiversity area (KBA).  

Towering at 2,085 meters above sea level, Mount Mantalingahan’s forest is host to a good number of plants and animal species, many of which are endemic to the island-province.

MMPL is also a major source of water for domestic, agriculture and fisheries of the residents in the surrounding municipalities, of which farming is a predominant way of life.

South Palawan contains approximately 60 principal rivers, of which 45 drain from the Mantalingahan range.

Thirty-three watersheds could be found in the MMPL, mostly within Rizal and Brooke’s Point. 

Two of the watersheds, which are micro-sized with an area of less than 1,000 hectares, are small watersheds ranging from 1,000 to 10,000 hectares, while 10 are medium, which range between 10,000 to 50,000 hectares.

Like many Protected Areas in the Philippines, the MMPL is threatened by human pressure.  

It is also threatened by mining.  There are four Minerals Production Sharing Agreement (MPSAs) that sit within the MMPL and the power to allow mining companies to explore the minerals buried underneath the earth's surface in this part of the world rests upon the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development (PCSD).

Advocates are worried that the PCSD would eventually allow mining operation within the MMPL, like it allowed agricultural corporations to convert vast portions into plantations to grow palm and rubber.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is apparently worried that if such happens, this KBA and all the wildlife that thrives within would eventually be lost.  (30)