THE Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF) has announced the successful hatching of a Philippine Eagle chick at the National Bird Breeding Sanctuary (NBBS) in Eden, Toril.
Known as chick number 30, the hatchling emerged on November 11 after a 56-day incubation period, a testament to the foundation’s commitment to conserving the Philippine national bird.
Domingo Tadena, PEF’s facility manager and conservation breeding expert, explained that they used the "help-out" method to aid the chick's hatching—a decision that wasn't taken lightly but was deemed necessary based on extensive experience.
Without intervention, Tadena noted, the chick risked suffocation.
The "help-out" technique involves carefully pipping through the egg’s air spaces, where the membrane is unattached, to prevent suffocation caused by excessive carbon dioxide buildup when hatching takes longer than expected.
PEF Executive Director Dennis Salvador expressed gratitude to all who have supported their conservation efforts, emphasizing the dedication and passion of the foundation's team.
“One necessarily needs to invest time and resources to make it work. But more importantly, besides skill, knowledge, and experience, it is the dedication and passion of our team that made this possible,” he said.
This chick is the result of artificial insemination, with female eagle Pinpin, who naturally incubated the egg for seven days, and male eagle Sinag, who provided the semen. The egg was laid on September 16 during the breeding season, which began in July and peaked in August with the eagles’ vocal displays.
PEF noted that incubation equipment from Liberec Zoo in the Czech Republic played a key role in this historic hatching for the NBBS,
“It demonstrates that with cutting-edge technology, cross-cultural collaboration, and unwavering dedication, we can give for the Philippine Eagle's future,” he said.
PEF had relocated some breeding eagles to the NBBS as a precaution against bird flu. Unlike the Malagos Center, the sanctuary is not open to the public; it is patrolled by 20 Bantay Bukid volunteers from the Bagobo-Tagabawa tribe of Toril.
The sanctuary currently houses pairs Matatag and Ariela, and Balikatan and Bangsa Bae, who were moved there on February 13, 2024, as well as Blaze and Gavra Maslog, who arrived on June 25, 2024.
The sanctuary spans 105 hectares within the Eden Tourism Reservation Area, awarded by the City Government of Davao, with 8.16 hectares as a forest buffer and 5.3 hectares dedicated to core facilities. RGP