Officials at the Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF) celebrate the arrival of the second generation of Philippine Eagle. The species was listed as one of the country's threatened birds due to loss of habitat by the IUCN.
Pag-asa, the first Philippine Eagle born in captivity 21 years ago, has sired its first offspring, which is a historic moment for conservationists who are making serious efforts to save these species.
The chick, which had a breech birth and is a product of artificial insemination, was hatched at 1:55 a.m. on Feb. 9 at the Philippine Eagle Center in Barangay Malagos, Calinan district.
According to the PEC, the birth of the 158-gram chick was assisted by Anna Mae Sumanya, PEF's curator for conservation breeding.
"The chick hatched from a breeched position so I had to help it to avoid damaging the vital veins that could potentially cause its death," Sumaya was quoted as saying in the Rappler. "Normally, chicks peep through the upper part of the egg, the broad end, where the air space is located. But in this case, the chick started to crack the shell on its side."
According to the reports, the chick was completely hatched at 1:55 a.m., 48 hours after it started to break its shell.
Born to mother Kalinawan, a 29-year-old Philippine Eagle, the chick is the 25th eagle produced at the center. Kalinawan was rescued in Zamboanga del Surand and was handed over to PEF in 2009. According to PEF executive director Dennis Salvador, the center has invested a lot of time and effort in order to conserve the Philippine Eagle's species. They expect some more help to restore the species and its natural habitat, reports Philstar.
According to the foundation and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, there are only about 180 to 500 pairs in the wild, mainly in the jungles of Mindanao.