PH eagle pair released in forests of Leyte
BURAUEN, LEYTE—Conservationists ramped up efforts to repopulate the national bird in the remaining lush forests of Leyte province as the Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF) released into the wild two raptors here on Thursday.
PEF, the country’s premier organization working on the conservation of the Philippine eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi), is the main partner of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to reintroduce the critically endangered raptor to Leyte after its population was wiped out in 2013 by Supertyphoon “Yolanda” (international name: Haiyan), the most powerful storm ever recorded.
From a hack cage measuring 3.04 meters by 3.04 meters (10 feet by 10 feet), Kalatungan I, a 3-year-old raptor, was the first to come out, stretching his wings before flying at 9:32 a.m. into the forest of Anonang-Lobi mountain range in Barangay Kagbana here.
Lyra Sinabadan, an 11-year-old female eagle, who was with Kalatungan I in the cage since March 21, followed more than an hour later, after some assistance by animal keeper Dominic Tadena.
She soared to freedom at 10:37 a.m., perched on a 24.38-meter (80 feet) tree, about 50 meters away from the cage, for some five minutes and from there flew toward the upstream of Marabong River.
The release of the two raptors on Thursday marked the second time that PEF brought an eagle pair into the Anonang-Lobi mountain range.
The first was in June last year through the translocation of Carlito and Uswag, from Mindanao.
The release of Kalatungan I and Lyra Sinabadan comes after the death of male raptor Uswag on July 30 last year, due to drowning, leaving Carlito without a pair.
Kalatungan I survived a gunshot and was rescued in Bukidnon province in 2024. Lyra Sinabadan, on the other hand, was rescued from Mt. Tangkulan, also in Bukidnon, in 2023.
Kalatungan I, Lyra Sinabadan and male raptor Lakpue were brought to Burauen from the Philippine Eagle Center in Davao City on March 21, traveling by land for 18 hours with PEF personnel. They have since spent the past six weeks in hack cages at the edge of the forests in Kagbana for acculturation.
Paired eagles Lyra Sinabadan and Kalatungan I had their medical checkup on Tuesday night and were declared fit for release by veterinarian Sheen Erica Gadong.
PEF executive director Dennis Salvador is hopeful the eagles will thrive in their new habitat.
“Socially bonded eagles Lyra Sinabadan and Kalatungan 1 will surely increase their loyalty to one another and to their release site as their future breeding territory,” said Dr. Jayson Ibañez, PEF director for operations.
Also present during the raptors’ release was Dr. Munir Virani, chief operating officer of the Mohamed Bin Zayed Raptor Conservation Fund, the PEF’s major funder, who flew in from Abu Dhabi.
