Pinker’s hawk-eagle rescued, freed in NoCot
Climate Change/Environment • 15:15 PM Thu Mar 16, 2023
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By:
Edwin O. Fernandez
Magpet Municipal Veterinarian Dr. Mylene P. Reniedo (right) examines the rescued Pinker’s hawk-eagle in Magpet, Cotabato province before it was released back to the wild on Wednesday, March 15, 2023. (DENR photos)
COTABATO CITY - A juvenile Pinker's hawk-eagle (Nisaetus pinskeri), rescued by a farmer in Magpet, North Cotabato, had been freed back to the wild on Wednesday.
In a statement, Environment officials said the unidentified farmer found the big bird weak in an open-space farmland In Barangay Amabel, Magpet, North Cotabato on Monday, March 14.
Forester Rosie Camiguing, chief of DENR Protected and Wildlife Unit (PAWU), said the raptor was weak and had lost its ability to fly.
The farmer had fed and taken care of the raptor for about a day, enabling it to regain its energy.
The Pinsker's hawk-eagle, also known Philippine hawk-eagle or Mindanao hawk-eagle, is a species of bird of prey in the family of Accipitridae.
Camiguing said the farmer brought the raptor to the Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office (MENRO) of Magpet the following day, March 15.
Magpet Municipal Veterinarian Dr. Mylene P. Reniedo who checked on the juvenile raptor, said the eagle is healthy and ready to be sent back to its natural habitat.
She said it measures 63 centimeters in length, 125 centimeters in its wingspan, and weighs 1.2 kilograms.
On Wednesday, the raptor was turned over to the Community and Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) of Matalam for its immediate release to its natural habitat as it was declared healthy and fit.
Camiguing together with some personnel of CENRO Matalam, led the release back to the wild of the Pinker’s hawk eagle
According to Forester Camiguing, the adult population of the Pinker's Hawk-Eagle is considered endangered and its current population is only about 600 to 800 remaining in the wild based on the data of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Dr. Reniedo that whenever a rescued wildlife such as the said raptor is found to be healthy and fit upon assessment, it should immediately be released back to the wild to avoid further stress that may cause more harm to the animal.
Magpet is situated at the foot of the country’s highest peak – Mt. Apo where the Philippine Eagles thrive.