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By Ruth Palo, Manila Times
These two Philippine eagles are among the 35 protected by the Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF) at Malagos village, Davao del Sur. PEF FILE PHOTO
DIGOS CITY: The Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF) is now working to relocate the Philippine Eagle Center to a more secure and viable location for breeding amid the looming threat of the avian flu.
Andi Baldonado, PEF development manager, said this is due to threats brought by the avian influenza, adding they are on standby to relocate the Philippine eagles to the 50-hectare local government property in Barangay Eden Toril District in this city.
Baldonado said the recent avian flu infection in Magsaysay town in Davao del Sur, which is less than a hundred kilometers away from the center, "practically brings the threat at their doorstep."
She said a single case of avian flu in the center can potentially wipe out all 34 Philippine eagles that they have right now.
"That's why we've said that we are on standby for a possible lockdown again if ever there's a case that will be detected in Davao City because we cannot risk having avian flu in the only captive breeding facility for the Philippine eagle," Baldonado said.
"The long-term plan is to really move, Malagos is no longer conducive for breeding wildlife and keeping the birds safe from the avian flu threat. In 2017, we had the threat as well so it's becoming more frequent. To prevent contamination, we need to isolate them," Baldonado said.
Right now, Baldonado said they are intensifying its biosecurity measures where the keepers are given access to the eagles in the center.
These keepers, she said, are assigned to specific eagles; they go to strict measures such as showering and changing into scrubs whenever they come in contact with the eagles.
The center, however, is still open to the public but stricter measures will have to be followed like not allowing vehicles to come inside the property anymore.
Baldonado also cited some game breeding farms around the 8.4-hectare Philippine Eagle Center, which houses 34 birds apart from several other wild bird species susceptible to infection.
"So it's not ideal anymore for a long-term plan of Philippine eagle conservation like breeding. And we find that it's time that we really need to secure the population and move them away from these areas," Baldonado added.
"We are working with the CPDO (City Planning and Development Office) towards releasing a usufruct which would allow us to use the facility for captive breeding and rescue rehabilitation," Baldonado said.
The PEF is seeking to raise P56 million as an initial budget to start the establishment of a new Philippine Eagle Facility in Eden, Toril.
Meanwhile, the PEF is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year with the theme "#AgiLaya: Lasting Freedom for the Philippine Eagle."
Highlights of the celebration include an exhibit from June 6 to 12 featuring Philippine eagle conservation milestones at SM Lanang Premier Atrium.
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