Tinukoy ang posibleng dahilan ng pagkamatay ng Philippine Eagle na natagpuan sa Sarangani Province noong September 19, 2022.
Natagpuan ang mga labi ng patay na agila sa Brgy. Dilao, bayan ng Maasim.
Read: Philippine Eagle natagpuang patay sa Sarangani
Bago ipadala ang mga labi nito sa Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF) sa Davao, natuklasang may tama ng pellet ang hita ng agila, ayon sa initial findings ng Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Soccsksargen.
Pero hindi tiyak noon kung ano talaga ang dahilan ng pagkamatay ng agila.
Kaya dinala ang mga labi ng Philippine Eagle sa PEF para sa necropsy.
Saad sa post ng PEF website: "The most probable cause of death though is drowning.
“Its muscular and skeletal structure are good and intact, but the state of its decomposition made it difficult to confirm whether the bird had any illness or disease when it was alive.”
Ayon ito sa post ng DENR Soccsksargen sa Facebook nitong September 21, 2022.
Mababasa ang kabuuang report sa website ng PEF.
Natukoy din na ang agila ay “estimated to be a young female, less than 4 years old.”
Wala pa raw sa tamang edad ang agila para makipag-mate.
“This age suggests that the eagle is yet sexually immature, unpaired and without a territory.
“It belongs to a segment of the wild eagle population that are referred to as ‘floaters’ or ‘surplus’ - eagles that wait until they are ready to mate and occupy their own territory."
(Top photo) Expanded wing ng patay na Philippine Eagle. (Bottom photo) Natagpuan ang patay na Philippine Eagle sa Sarangani Province noong September 19, 2022.
Wala namang nakitang abnormalidad sa hayop nang isailalim ito sa X-ray.
At bagamat natukoy ang tama ng pellet sa hita nito, hindi ito ang cause of death.
“X-ray however showed an air gun pellet lodged inside its left thigh.
“But there was no open wound, which means the shooting happened some time ago and the wound already healed. No other body injuries were visible.”
Nabanggit din sa ulat na hindi ito ang unang beses na natagpuan nila ang agila sa lugar.
"This incident is the third recorded case of an eagle crashing into the coastal seas of Maasim town in Sarangani Province.
“But on Mindanao island, this is already the 8th case of a Philippine eagle crashing into the sea.”
Nang matagpuan ang mga labi ng agila noong September 19, tinatayang apat hanggang limang oras na itong patay.