Deaths of 2 Phl eagles to affect gene pool of Davao City center

DAVAO CITY, Philippines - – The recent deaths of Philippine eagles Arakan and Marikit would affect the existing gene pool of the Philippine Eagle Center in Barangay Malagos, Calinan district here.

The Malagos eagle center, run by the non-profit Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF), has been running a conservation breeding program to develop a viable gene pool and propagate the endangered species.

The program aims to release offsprings into the wild to increase the population of the giant raptor that was declared the country’s national bird in 1995, replacing the maya.

The program was primarily responsible for producing at least 25 captive-bred Philippine eagles since the birth of eagles Pag-asa and Pagkakaisa in 1992.

These captive-bred eagles have been kept at the Malagos center where animal caretakers and biologists take care of them.

The Philippine eagle population is now placed at less than 1,000, including those sighted in the forested areas of northern Luzon, Samar and Mindanao. At least 34 of the Philippine eagles are kept at the Malagos center.

PEF executive director Dennis Salvador lamented that the deaths of partner eagles Arakan and Marikit would have an impact on the center’s conservation breeding program.

Arakan was killed by a fallen branch of a bogo tree last Jan. 18 as continuous heavy rains brought about by a low-pressure area affected the region. 

The incident also destroyed the P700,000 aviary that also housed Arakan’s partner Marikit who died on Monday due to a respiratory disease known as “aspergillosis.”

Salvador said Arakan and Marikit were a potential pair for the conservation breeding program.

“The two already showed signs of a very good pairing for the conservation breeding program until the unfortunate incident took place,” Salvador told The STAR.

Arakan and Marikit were both injured eagles recovered separately in the wild and turned over to the PEF for recovery care and management.

Marikit, who was found on Mt. Kan-apo in Surigao in 1995, was adopted by the Marco Polo Hotel Davao in 1997.

Marco Polo Hotel Davao is one of the PEF’s corporate partners, with the hotel putting up P150,000 a year for the upkeep of Marikit. The same goes with other sponsors which also adopted other Philippine eagles at the Malagos center.

Salvador said the Malagos center would continue to enhance and improve not only its conservation breeding program but also its other existing programs such as on community-based initiatives, field research and conservation education.