Juvenile Philippine eagle Chick#29 found deceased

April 5, 2022

DAVAO CITY - On the morning of April 5, 2022, the juvenile Philippine eagle Chick#29 was found lifeless on the floor of its enclosure. The team of animal keepers immediately reviewed CCTV footage to reveal that the chick was attacked by a python. Measures are being taken to capture the python through entrapment and thorough searches conducted in the facility.

The attack happened at 12:13 AM in the morning. CCTV footage shows the snake slithering in the enclosure and attacked the eaglet while it was brooding.

Preventive measures are in place to ensure enclosures for animals are safe against hazards and incidents of this nature. The walls of the enclosure were snake proofed with an added layer of ½ inch wire mesh on top of the original cyclone wire with hole size of 2 by 2 inches. Possible entry points could be the feeding chute, which is a PVC pipe where food is dropped in the enclosure, or the screen ceiling. The enclosure is also adjacent to an adult Philippine eagle from the wild that can easily catch a snake. But unfortunately for fledglings, they are still vulnerable to predation.

Reticulated pythons are  natural resident species inside the Philippine Eagle Center and the surrounding watershed area. They are classified as hazards under the PEC’s biosecurity measures. As such, snake proofing was done on the enclosures of the eaglet and other animals that a snake can prey on. Traps have been set up around the PEC and search parties mobilized at night to capture the problem snake.

The Avian Flu is not the only danger the Philippine eagles are facing in the facility in Malagos. Even the area’s resident snakes are a threat especially to eaglets, other raptors, and mammals. In light of the event, the PEF calls on the support of the local government agencies to hasten the transfer of its breeding birds to a safer location.

For more information, you may contact info@philippineeaglefoundation.org