Sarangani Pride, the Philippine Eagle rescued early this year in the wilderness of Maitum town, has been fitted with a high-tech transmitter to send global positioning system daily readings
The device aims to make monitoring of the endangered bird more efficiently and effectively. Monitoring the bird’s location will help it mature and propagate in the wild, and rescue it when distressed.
Once the transmitter units are replaced, the team can get as many as 20 GPS location readings per day as opposed to 1 reading with the current transmitter, and whose battery life can last up to a maximum of 10 years.
The eagle was found on Jan. 2 within Mt. Busa complex, a key biodiversity area and habitat to critically endangered, threatened, vulnerable and rare bird species.
The rescued eagle was brought to the Philippine Eagle Center in Davao for rehabilitation before being released to the wild.
Davao City-based Philippine Eagle Foundation recently deployed a team to recapture and replace the battery-powered GPS satellite transmitter harnessed unto the eagle with a solar-powered GPS-GSM (global system for mobile communications) tracker.
“The bird was so agile. It took days before the team finally planned for a solution,” says biologist Rowell Taraya who headed the team from the PEF and the Maitum municipal government.
“Last July 9, Sarangani Pride was spotted being mobbed by a flock of crows. It was tough for the team to divert SP’s attention for he was preoccupied with the birds,” he said.
The bird was released less than an hour in custody after retagging and physical checkup.
According to Sarangani Gov. Steve Chiongbian, there is a need to declare the place a protected watershed and wildlife area, citing reports from the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office that the whole stretch of the Maitum and Kiamba forest can be declared a wildlife sanctuary.
He noted that the presence of the Philippine Eagle in Maitum shows that the Mt. Busa forest is still pristine and healthy and worth conserving.