Cheyenne Suarez

Foundation celebrates first unassisted Philippine eagle hatch in 38 years

Article (news)

ABS-CBN News

Agence France-Presse

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1739934308103eagle.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="The Philippine Eagle Foundation announces its first unassisted Philippine eagle hatch in 38 years. Photos courtesy of the Philippine Eagle Foundation/Facebook"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">The Philippine Eagle Foundation announces its first unassisted Philippine eagle hatch in 38 years. <em>Photos courtesy of the Philippine Eagle Foundation/Facebook </em></span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>MANILA — The Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF) has announced its first-ever documented unassisted natural hatching of a Philippine eagle, calling it a &quot;groundbreaking achievement&quot; in its 38-year history.</p><p>In a Facebook post Tuesday, the PEF said the natural hatching of Riley, its Chick No. 38, happened on Jan. 16, 2025. Riley was the offspring of the foundation&#x27;s eagles Sinag and Dakila, it said.</p><p>The PEF said the milestone was a &quot;true testament to the resilience and strength&quot; of its conservation efforts for the endangered eagles.</p><p>&quot;Riley is growing stronger every day,&quot; the PEF said, adding that the newly hatched eagle would be transferred to a bigger nest on Wednesday to accommodate her &quot;growing size.&quot;</p><p>&quot;Riley’s arrival is a symbol of hope and a reminder of the importance of unity in protecting our natural heritage,&quot; it added.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>CHICK NO. 30</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Another Philippine Eagle chick hatched via artificial insemination in November but died the next month in a setback for one of the world&#x27;s largest and most critically endangered raptors.</p><p>Habitat loss and ruthless hunting have caused a rapid decline in the number of Philippine Eagles, the national bird of the archipelago country.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/regions/2024/12/1/philippine-eagle-hatchling-dies-in-conservation-setback-1259">Philippine Eagle hatchling dies in conservation setback</a></div><p>&quot;This heartbreaking loss is a solemn reminder of how delicate chick-rearing can be and how critically endangered species are particularly vulnerable,&quot; the Philippine Eagle Foundation said.</p><p>A product of artificial insemination, the 17-day-old male chick had been the first successful hatchling in the new facility.</p><p>Complications from a condition known as &quot;yolk sac retention&quot; were the possible cause of death, the statement said.</p><p>The condition, common in poultry farms, indicates the entry of bacteria through incubating eggshells, or chick exposure to bacteria after hatching.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>CHALLENGES</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Philippine Eagles, known for their sumptuous head plumage and a 2-meter (seven-foot) wingspan, are difficult to mate, with some even killing unwanted suitors.</p><p>There are only 392 pairs of the eagles remaining in the wild, with just 30 born in captivity, the foundation estimates.</p><p>The organization&#x27;s ultimate goal is to release the eagles back into the wild, but it has not once succeeded in its 37 years of operation.</p><p>Many Philippine Eagles have died after being shot or electrocuted while perched on power lines.</p><p>Each pair needs at least 4,000 hectares (about 10,000 acres) of forest, a rapidly disappearing ecosystem in the Philippines, to hunt flying lemurs, palm civets, flying squirrels and monkeys.</p><p>While underweight, the latest chick had initially displayed normal behavior and feeding patterns until November 26, when it began to exhibit labored breathing and sneezing, the foundation said.</p><p>&quot;Of all the chicks that they&#x27;ve successfully hatched and raised, this is the first time that the (foundation) breeding team had a case of yolk sac retention, which is usually linked to infection or other causes,&quot; Bayani Vandenbroeck, who conducted the necropsy, was quoted as saying.</p><p>&quot;Strict hygiene and management protocols were followed, so we did not expect this at all, but we will probe where else we can improve,&quot; he added.</p><div> </div>

<p>The Philippine Eagle Foundation announced its first-ever documented unassisted natural hatching of a Philippine eagle, calling it a "groundbreaking achievement" in its 38-year history.</p>

The Philippine Eagle Foundation announced its first-ever documented unassisted natural hatching of a Philippine eagle, calling it a "groundbreaking achievement" in its 38-year history.