Mining and logging threaten a wildlife wonderland on a Philippine mountain Mount Busa on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao is among the most biodiverse and most threatened ecological areas in the country. It’s a key biodiversity area and a known bird conservation area, considered one of the last remaining strongholds of the critically endangered and nationally important Philippine eagle (Phitecophaga jefferyi). Despite its ecological importance, the mountain has enjoyed little protection, with only the topmost slopes falling under a local conservation zone. To protect the area, environmentalists and local officials are pushing to legalize and strengthen the mountain’s protection by including it in the Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas Systems (E-NIPAS).