There are only around 400 pairs of Philippine Eagles left in the world, making them a critically endangered species. With the continued loss of its natural habitat here in the Philippines due to deforestation, alternative habitats have been necessary for their survival. One such alternative is Singapore’s Jurong Bird Park.
Photo Courtesy of Alain Pascua
“Geothermica” and “Sambisig”, a pair of male and female Philippine Eagles, will be transported to their new home in Singapore this June 4. They are being sent to Singapore as ‘ambassadors for Philippine biodiversity’. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) hopes that their presence in Asia’s largest bird park brings greater attention and support to its conservation needs.
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Of course, another function of the partnership are the hopes that the pair will better serve the purpose of conservation breeding in a better environment. DENR Secretary Roy Cimatu rationalizes:
Sending Geothermica and Sambisig to Singapore acts as a biosecurity measure to ensure the survival of the species and as a fallback population in the event of catastrophic events like disease outbreaks or extreme natural calamities taking place in their Philippine habitats.
WRS deputy chief executive officer Cheng Wen-Haur has belied his belief that: “Together, we can actively contribute in greater capacity to raise awareness of the threats that the wild cousins of these eagles face in the wild, even as we continue the work of breeding to fight extinction.”
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What do you think we can do to improve the situation for endangered animals?
