COTABATO CITY – Environment officials in Region 12 (Soccsksargen) made public on Monday local villagers’ efforts to rescue five eagles in the provinces of North Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat in the past several days amid the implementation of the enhanced community quarantine due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
The endangered species were rescued in the boundary of Magpet, Tulunan, and Makilala in North Cotabato; and in Palimbang, Sultan Kudarat, according to Khadija Bayam-Benpolok, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) 12 public affairs office chief.
Dr. Sabdullah C. Abubacar, DENR-12 chief, said two eagles, a Pinsker’s Hawk-Eagle (Nisaetus pinskeri) and a juvenile “Besra” or “Sparrow Hawk-Eagle” were separately rescued on Monday by villagers in the mountains of Makilala and Magpet towns in North Cotabato.
One of the rescued species, the adult Pinsker’s Hawk-Eagle was rescued by Juan Magdayo, a village watchman in Barangay Buena Vida, Makilala, North Cotabato.
Magdayo said he found the eagle in a bush and it appeared to be injured due to a small rope tied around its feet. The bird is now in the custody of the DENR in Makilala.
In Tulunan town, Abubacar said farmer Baldz Lanao, of Sitio B’laan, Barangay Kanibong found the endangered bird in a bush on April 19.
Upon advice from village officials, Lanao said he immediately turned over the juvenile bird to the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) of Matalam the following day.
Jestoni Almarez, a staff of CENRO-Matalam, said the rescued young raptor was weak but had no signs of harm or injury.
“The eagle is still learning to fly,” Almarez said.
Also on the same day, another eagle was found by farmer Juan Suarez in the fields of Tulunan. This time, it was a young “Serpent Eagle” that appeared to be injured.
The serpent eagle has been checked by DENR personnel and will soon be sent back to the wild.
On April 17, a juvenile Philippine Eagle, also known as the “monkey-eating eagle”, was also rescued by fisherman Mastura Sugkan in Barangay Kolong-Kolong, Palimbang, Sultan Kudarat while he was gathering shrimps along Butril River.
Mastura then turned over the bird to Palimbang environment officer Soraima Akmad the next day.
Last month, two Philippine eagles in North Cotabato were rescued by villagers who turned them over to the DENR. They were eventually released back to their natural habitat.
Benpolok said the series of sightings and rescue of eagles and other endangered species could be due to the upcoming summer season when the forests dry up and eagles look for food outside their natural habitat. (PNA)
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