BLAZE and Maslog were transferred from the Philippine Eagle Center (PEC) to the National Bird Breeding Sanctuary (NBBS) in Barangay Eden, Toril on June 25.
The transfer would help protect the raptors from the emerging avian flu and ensure a comfortable setting for the “sexually mature” birds to breed, preparing for the year’s upcoming breeding season.
The Philippine eagles were given a full physical check-up by veterinarians before arriving at the NBBS.
Abu Dhabi-based Mohamed bin, Zayed Raptor Conservation Fund chief executive who also joined the transfer of eagles, said the initiative will sustain the future of the said species.
“With the robust facilities and biosafety measures in place, we are optimistic that the breeding sanctuary will successfully support the Philippine eagles in sustaining future generations of this magnificent species,” he said.
The transfers were also led by the Conservation Breeding Program of the Philippine Eagle Foundation manager Dominic Tadena.
CCTV cameras are being set up in the new breeding chamber to observe the behavior of natural pair birds properly.
“With the new breeding chamber ready to be a home for another pair of birds. We can use the smaller enclosures to attempt pairing a male eagle, Lipadas, and female eagle, Gavra Maslog, that are both rescued from the wild,” Tadena added.
Philippine Eagle Gavra Maslog will undergo a pairing attempt with Philippine Eagle Lipadas, known for his eye injury and rescued earlier this year.
According to PEF, Blaze is a mal-imprint eagle, which means that it sees its keeper as its surrogate partner or mate.
“His keeper will continue bonding with him to ensure that he is ready for the upcoming breeding season and that he produces viable sperm for Artificial Insemination of other female eagles or for cryogenic preservation,” the statement reads.
Blaze was adopted by Petron Corporation while Gavra Maslog was adopted by OmniPay Inc. The eagles are settling into their new enclosures and adjusting well so far.
