A Philippine eagle was found dead Monday morning along the shoreline of Purok Maguid, Barangay Daliao in Maasim town, Sarangani Province.
Mohammad Joher Ibad, one of the residents who first saw the dead bird, said they thought that it was a dead duck or turkey floating on the water. They were surprised to find out it was a large Philippine eagle.
"Nalungkot po kami at nasayangan kasi isa itong Philippine eagle. Pagkabuhat namin, matigas na ito at maraming tubig ang bumuhos sa bunganga niya. Kung buhay pa sana ito, agad sana kami hihingi ng tulong," Ibad told ABS-CBN News.
He said when they checked the eagle's carcass, they did not find visible wounds.
The dead animal will be sent to the Philippine Eagle Center in Davao City for necropsy, according to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Soccsksargen.
Based on the report from DENR Soccsksargen, the eagle was believed to be 4 to 5 hours dead when it was found. The cause of death has yet to be determined.
There were no tag or chips noticed in the raptor upon DENR's inspection.
The said Philippine eagle weighed 5.6 kilograms, has a 102-centimeter length and 188-centimeter wingspan.
The Philippine Eagle, the country's national bird and icon, is listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) with an estimated number of only 400 pairs left in the wild.
- report from Hernel Tocmo
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