mmalabanan
Two months after being released into the wild, a Philippine Eagle named “Pamana” (heritage) died after sustaining a gunshot wound in right side of the chest.
The three-year-old eagle was found lifeless near a creek in the thick forests of Mount Hamiguitan Range, a protected area and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Davao Oriental on August 16. Scientists from the Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF) found a metal fragment allegedly from a pellet gun in the carcass.
PEF Executive Director Dennis Salvador said that Pamana was found with a hole in her chest that shattered her left shoulder.
“Unfortunately, there’s this man with a gun who thinks that apparently, he can shoot anything and did this,” Salvador told ABS-CBN News Channel.
In honor of the country’s Independence Day, the eagle, a critically endangered species, was released into the wild on June 12. Through a miniature transmitter placed on her back, Pamana’s movements were being monitored by PEF. However, her transmitter went into “mortality mode” on August 10, indicating that the bird had not moved for six hours. This prompted the PEF to deploy a search team.
Pamana survived two gunshot wounds in 2012 when she was still seven months old.
According to Salvador, 90% of the Philippine Eagles that PEF release in the wild are being shot.
“Shooting is probably the biggest threat to young Philippine Eagles in the wild now. Young birds, which are one to six years old, are very inquisitive and are not often frightened by people. So that is when they become really vulnerable,” he explained.
Based on the Republic Act 9147 or the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act, people proven guilty of killing critically-endangered species may face imprisonment of up to 12 years and fines up to 1 million.
