Saving Kabugao the Philippine Eagle

A composite team from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), local governments of Apayao and Kabugao, the non-profit Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF) and concerned citizens nursed a critically endangered Philippine Eagle back to health after the eagle was rescued from a farmer in Barangay Bulu of Kabugao town in Apayao province last March 19.According to Ariel Puglay Silaw, a 38-year-old resident of Brgy. Bulu, he accidentally caught Philippine Eagle“Kabugao” on March 16 in a nylon noose trap or silo he installed to capture wild pigs in the forests of Mt. Mabagyaw.

He reported about the eagle to the City Environment and Natural Resources (CENRO) Conner staff on March 18. While in his custody, Ariel kept the bird in a small wooden crate sealed with planks of wood. According to Ariel, he gave the eagle duck meat as food.

By 5 a.m. of March 19, PENRO Apayao Rainier Balbuena, PEF staff Guiller Opiso and Susanna Legaspi and provincial veterinarians in Apayao restrained and rescued the eagle. The bird was docile and did not resist capture, which indicated that the eagle was weak and might be in pain. The team brought the distressed eagle to Laoag City for x-ray, medical assessment and temporary rehabilitation.

PEF’s Opiso and Algen Agua restrained and put a hood to calm the eagle. X-rays were taken of Kabugao at the Ranada Hospital, and three air gun bullets lodged underneath the skin of the eagle were seen in the plates. The absence of fresh entry wounds suggested that the bird was shot a considerably long time ago. Fortunately, no bone fractures were noted.

The physical examination was undertaken by veterinarian couple Mary Jane and Cristopher Galvez of the Laoag City Veterinary Clinic, with PEF’s veterinary consultant Dr. Bayani Vandenbroeck teleconsulting via GoogleMeet from Davao City. DENR CAR staff Dorothy Cayaba and Marcos Bias assisted during the examination.

The eagle had an inflamed left shank (leg) with slight hematoma, ruffled feathers indicating stress, a prominent “brood patch” indicating that the eagle is female and may have been incubating an egg or brooding a very young chick when captured. There were maggots and flies at its