DAVAO CITY, May 30 (PIA)- The Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF) is eyeing an emergency and possibly a permanent relocation of the existing Philippine Eagle Center in Malagos to a 50-hectare City Government property in Barangay Eden.
Andi Baldonado, Development Manager of the PEF said due to threats brought by the Avian Influenza they are on standby to relocate the Philippine Eagles to a local government property.
Baldonado said the recent Avian Flu infection in Magsaysay town which is 90 kilometers away from the center “practically brings the threat on their doorstep.”
“A single case of this virus in the Philippine Eagle Center can potentially wipe out all 34 Philippine Eagles that we have right now,” Baldonado said during her guesting at the Kapihan sa Dabaw held at SM City Davao.
“Right now, we have intensified bio-security measures which means people that have access to the eagles in the center are their keepers. The keepers are assigned to specific eagles they go to strict measures such as showering, changing into scrubs whenever the come in contact with the eagles,” Baldonado said.
The center is still open to the public but the eagles are kept in a distant enclosure from the public unlike before when some Philippine Eagles are allowed to be stay outside their cages and nearer to visitors.
She said that if ever an outbreak is detected in the area or in Davao City, they will transfer the eagles to a secure location in Barangay Eden.
Baldonado said that game breeding farms have surrounded the 8.4-hectare Philippine Eagle Center which houses 34 Philippine Eagles alongside several other wild bird species thus the heightened fears on contamination.
“The long-term plan is to really move, Malagos is no longer conducive for breeding wildlife and keeping the birds safe from the Avian Flu threat. We had an avian flu threat in 2017 so it’s becoming more frequent. To prevent contamination, we have to isolate them,” Baldonado said.
The 50-hectare city government of Davao property is in a remote area and is allotted as a conservation area.
“We are working with the CPDO (City Planning and Development Office) towards releasing a usufruct which would allow us to use the facility for captive breeding and rescue rehabilitation,” Baldonado said.
She added that they are seeking to raise P56-million as an initial budget to start the establishment of a new Philippine Eagle Facility in Eden. (PIA/RG Alama)
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