22nd RP eaglet hatched in captivity
The Philippine Eagle Center in Barangay Malagos, Calinan District, this city, said the eaglet bred and hatched in captivity last Dec. 7 is the 22nd produced by the center.
The chick was in good health and eating ground quail meat.
The chick has not yet been named. Under the center’s “adopt-an-eagle” program, a sponsor can choose a name for the bird in return for a donation.
The eaglet’s parents are Tsai and Princess Maasim, one of the most prolific natural pairs in the existing gene pool at the Malagos eagle center.
The non-profit Philippine Eagle Foundation runs the eagle center which has implemented a captive breeding program since 1987.
Eagles Pag-asa and Pagkakaisa are among the most famous and earliest giant raptors that the center has produced.
According to PEF deputy director for conservation breeding Domingo Tadena, the newest chick had to be assisted in hatching, since it was already long overdue and experienced difficulty coming out of its shell.
Tadena said they were forced to pip and get the bird out of the shell to save the eaglet from suffocation.
The difficulty in breaking the shell was reportedly due to the eaglet’s weight, which was placed at a considerable 155.9 grams.
Tadena said the chances of survival of the latest eaglet were good, since it has already displayed encouraging signs like lifting its head without any help in its first days.
There are reportedly only about 500 pairs of existing Philippine eagles, with 30 of the birds bred in captivity at the
The Philippine eagle is one of the most endangered eagles, as its habitat of old-growth tropical forests has largely been destroyed. It is found only in the
The majestic bird has a wing span of up to two meters when fully grown, making it one of the largest birds of prey in the world.
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