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| PE Blaze in his new enclosure - Morning of June 26 |
Two (2) breeding Philippine eagles, “Blaze” adopted by Petron Corporation and “Gavra Maslog” adopted by OmniPay Inc. were transferred from the Philippine Eagle Center (PEC), Barangay Malagos, Davao City to the National Bird Breeding Sanctuary (NBBS) in Barangay Eden, Toril, Davao City on June 25, 2024 at 6 PM. The transfer was initiated to give safety from the emerging avian flu and to ensure a comfortable setting for these sexually mature birds to breed and prepare for this year's upcoming breeding season.
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| PE Lipadas on the foreground and PE Maslog on the background in their respective enclosures – Morning of June 26 |
The Philippine eagles were given a full physical check-up by veterinarians from Doc Bayani’s Veterinary Clinic before leaving the PEC, and once more upon arriving at the NBBS. The transfer of the eagles was led by the Manager of the Conservation Breeding Program of the Philippine Eagle Foundation, Mr. Dominic Tadena. He was joined by Dr. Munir Virani, Chief Executive of the Abu-Dhabi based Mohamed bin Zayed Raptor Conservation Fund (MBZRCF) who are our partners in a historic Philippine eagle translocation project.
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| PEF Animal Keepers assist DVM Suello during physical assessment of PE Blaze |
CCTV Cameras are being setup in the new breeding chamber to properly observe the behavior of natural pair birds this upcoming breeding season.
"Dr. Munir Virani expressed honor and privilege in participating in this historic eagle transfer, stating, 'This experience reaffirms our hope and confidence in the dedication and efforts seen at the PEF's new facility. With the robust facilities and biosafety measures in place, we are optimistic that the breeding sanctuary will successfully support the Philippine eagles in sustaining future generations of this magnificent species.'"
“With the new breeding chamber ready to be a home for another pair of birds. We can use the smaller enclosures to attempt pairing a male eagle, Lipadas, and female eagle, Gavra Maslog, that are both rescued and from the wild”, said Mr. Tadena.
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| Prep for release - PE Lipadas who was moved to a new enclosure for pairing with PE Maslog |
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| Prep for release - PE Lipadas who was moved to a new enclosure for pairing with PE Maslog |
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| Interior of Breeding Chamber 2 at the NBBS where Philippine Eagles Pagpapala and Taylor will be housed (these eagles are part of the first batch transferred to the NBBS, last February 13, 2024.) |
Philippine Eagle Gavra Maslog will undergo a pairing attempt with Philippine Eagle Lipadas, known for his eye injury and rescued earlier this year. Philippine Eagle Blaze is a mal-imprint eagle meaning he sees his keeper as his surrogate partner or mate; his keeper will continue bonding with him to ensure that he is ready for the upcoming breeding season and that he produces viable sperm for Artificial Insemination of other female eagles or for cryogenic preservation. The eagles (the ones transferred from the PEC and those moved around due to the rearrangement) are settling in to their new enclosures, and adjusting well thus far.
About the Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF)
The Philippine Eagle Foundation is dedicated to conserving the Philippine Eagle and its forest habitat. Through research, breeding, and conservation efforts, PEF aims to secure the future of this majestic bird and the ecosystems it inhabits.
About Philippine Eagle Blaze
“Blaze” formerly known as “Bighani” is a sixteen-year old male Philippine bred in the Philippine Eagle Center, Malagos, Davao City. For several years now, Blaze has been part of the Captive Breeding Program as a sperm/semen donor.
About Philippine Eagle Maslog
Gavra Maslog formerly known as “Maslog” is an adult female Philippine eagle rescued from in Brgy. Carayacay, Maslog, Eastern Samar on June 5, 2019. She will be undergoing pairing with rescued male eagle, Lipadas, at the NBBS.
About the Mohamed Bin Zayed Raptor Conservation Fund
The Raptor Conservation Fund is based in Abu Dhabi, UAE and was established in 2018 to develop solutions to key global challenges facing raptors, a magnificent bird of prey. The Fund was founded by His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Abu Dhabi. They currently support the PEF’s conservation efforts, namely, in the Philippine Eagle Reintroduction Program that is underway in Leyte Island.
(PR)
