Kagbana, some 37 kilometers away from the town center, is the most remote community in Leyte province with a population of nearly 400, including 58 members of the Mamanwa Tribe.
The Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF) and its partners have been preparing the community for over a decade to ensure that released birds will be protected.
Jayson Ibañez, PEF director for operations, said they identified the mountain range as the new Philippine Eagle Conservation Site. PEF is prepared to release 18 eagles, or nine pairs, in the next five years.
“Any rescued eagles in Mindanao will be automatically transferred to Leyte. We will also get healthy young birds and translocate them to Leyte to repopulate the place,” Ibañez said.
Critically Endangered
The PEF monitored a pair of Philippine Eagles in the forest of Kagbana in 2007, and their presence was detected until 2012.
He believed that the birds perished when Super Typhoon Yolanda struck the central Philippines in 2013.
“We hope the release can open opportunities for scientific research that will benefit communities. We want to strengthen the green jobs option in Kagbana, replacing hunting and collecting wildlife,” Ibañez added.
The Philippine Eagle is one of the rarest eagles in the world and one of the largest and most powerful among forest raptors.
They are also listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, with an estimated number of only 400 pairs left in the wild.
Conservation Partners
The Eagle translocation project is supported by the Rotary Club of Central Tacloban City, the Forest Foundation Philippines, the local government unit of Burauen, the Mohamed Bin Zayed Raptors Conservation Fund, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the Energy Development Corporation, the Australian Embassy in Manila, the Insular Life Foundation, Mandai Nature, the Environmental Legal Assistance Center, and the Central Maharlika Eagles Club.
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