On December 7, 2015, a new addition to the endangered species of the great Philippine Eagle is witnessed in a conservation center in the southern part of Davao, a province in the Philippines. This is the 26th chick from its breeding program after 56 days of incubation from the pair of eagles, namely, "MVP Eagle" (male) and "Go Phoenix" (female), which was originally partnered up in 2013 until the present.
This rare eagle species that only breeds once a year is known as the monkey-eating eagle. The Philippine Eagle Foundation announced it on its site the full details and statement of the curator, Anna Mae Sumaya.
"Assistance in hatching was done during the first few hours of the whole hatching process but the chick did it on its own when it hatched full-term, at two days old, the baby eagle can already lift its head and get food from forceps. It's also very active - very attentive and observant of its surroundings. The chick responds to some bird calls heard from the background sound," she said.
Of the 600 eagles of its kind, only 34 including the hatchling are now under the protective care of the conservation. The species is being threatened by the continuous loss of its natural habitat and illegal hunting of the locals.
Last August, just 2 months after being released into the wild, a rare eagle named Pamana is shot dead by unknown perpetrators. The foundation hopes that this remarkable event would serve as a beacon for the preservation of the species as it is the Philippine's national bird.
"This hatching is a big breakthrough for us and is the result of nearly five years of round robin pairing amongst our younger set of eagles at the center. We are proud of our conservation breeding team for their perseverance at this very challenging task." The significance of this event is further explained by Executive Director Dennis Salvador.
