24th February 2016;
An endangered Philippine Eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi) which was released into the wild under a conservation program is now fighting for survival after being shot, a Philippine conservation group said Wednesday, February 24.
The meter-long (3.3-foot) Monkey-eating Eagle, which preys on Macaques (Macaca fascicularis) and other small animals sharing its forest habitat, was shot over the weekend.
One man surrendered to the Philippine Eagle Foundation in Davao City on Mindanao island on Sunday, February 21, and also handed over the injured bird, the Philippine Eagle Foundation said in a statement.
He, along with a second man, was turned over to the police. Both are under arrest.
“The wounded eagle is under observation but I cannot assess its survival chances at this time,” the foundation’s curator Anna Mae Sumaya told AFP.
The foundation said the shooting shattered the bird’s right wing. It was unclear if the 6-year-old male would ever fly again.
Killing Monkey-eating Eagles is punishable by a 12-year prison term and a P1 million ($21,000) fine, while wounding the species incurs a 4-year prison term and a half million-peso fine.
In August 2015, 3-year-old Philippine Eagle Pamana was found dead two months after being released into the wild. The bird had a bullet hole in the right breast.
The Philippine Eagle is famed for its elongated nape feathers that form into a shaggy crest. Its two-meter wingspan makes it one of the world’s largest eagles.
It is found nowhere except the Philippines, where it is the country’s national bird. About 600 of them are thought to be left in the wild.
Source: Rappler
Philippines: Philippine Eagle fighting for survival after being shot
Monday Morgue 