The Philippine Eagle Foundation(PEF), located in Davao City, announced the successful hatching of the Philippine eaglet, last February 4, Thursday, after 57 days of incubation. The center is responsible for producing its first eagle, Pag-asa, conceived, hatched and bred in captivity on January 15, 1992.
The yet-unnamed chick is "active and alert as it can already lift its head, sit and follow objects even at a day old," said PEF curator Anna Mae Sumaya.
It is one of the two offspring of the paired eagles MVP, a male, and GO Phoenix, a female. An elder sibling, named Sirag, which was recently adopted by Philippine Airlines, hatched on December 7, 2015.
PEF executive director Dennis Salvador said that they "still cannot determine the gender of the new eaglet - it will take some time, after several months maybe". Salvador added that "it will never see people but can viewed through the CCTV."
The Philippine eagle - the country's noticed bird - is one of the rarest birds in the world, endemic to Philippine forest. It has the scientific name Pithecophaga jefferyi. It is considered an endangered species by International Union For Conservation Of Nature because of its rapidly declining population.
Source: Inquirer
