In a media briefing on February 18, The Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF), shared that they have welcomed their new hatchling, Chick. No. 31, a Philippine Eagle named ‘Riley.’
Riley is now one month old as he was hatched last January 16 at the National Bird Breeding Sanctuary (NBBS) in Davao City. PEF Executive Director, Dennis Salvador that the eagle has shown positive progress over the past month and is continuously growing strong.
PEF detailed that Riley was the “first-ever documented unassisted natural hatching,” attributed to the conservation efforts of their organization. The chick was the second egg of a female Philippine Eagle named Dakila with donated semen from Philippine Eagle Dinah.
Salvador shared that it was such a relief for them that Riley had a successful hatching process despite the limited facilities. He shared this success with NBBS and the surrounding climate within the area which was ideal for the biological needs of eagles.
PEF have found a new and conducive home for these Philippine Eagles at NBBS. Salvador observed that with their partnership with NBBS, the breeding process of these hatchlings have significantly improved. The environment of the Davao-based sanctuary has also proved to be ideal for these birds as they are shielded from possible human disturbance.
The birth of Riley is a significant milestone for conservationists and the local wildlife in general. According to PEF, these eagles are unfortunately critically endangered as per the International Union for Conservation of Nature. At present, there are only 400 pairs of eagles left in the wild in certain areas of Luzon, Samar, Leyte, and Mindanao, which marked Philippine Eagles the rarest of its kind in the world.
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