Another eagle rescued in Sarangani A PHILIPPINE Eagle was rescued last week in the hinterlands of Maitum, Sarangani after a resident found it trapped in thorny rattan vines while on a hunt. It was the third eagle rescued in the area over the last four years, according to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources–Soccsksargen (DENR-12) regional office. The eagle has been turned over the Philippine Eagle Center in Davao City for documentation and rehabilitation. The bird was found near Mt. Busa, a declared key biodiversity. Philippine eagle Mabuhay carries on legacy of father, Pag-asa THE death on January 6 of 28-year old Philippine eagle Pag-asa, the first of his kind to be bred and hatched in captivity, was a sad blow to conservation efforts, but his legacy lives on through his first and only offspring, Mabuhay. “In practical terms, there is not much impact because (Pag-asa is) retired from breeding. His loss, however, will be felt more in our educational program where he played a crucial role in raising public awareness and pride for our natural heritage,” Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF) Executive Director Dennis Joseph I. Salvador via text message. Mabuhay, however, “will carry the torch of hope,” Mr. Salvador said. That hope is about continuing to inspire workers and volunteers at the PEF’s Philippine Eagle Center in Davao City, on bringing back the Philippine eagle from the brink of extinction, and the “for the dreams and aspirations of millions of upland communities who rely on our forests to survive,” he said. Mabuhay, who is turning eight on February 9, “shows that captive breeding is a viable tool for helping augment the species’ population in the wild,” the PEF official said. Mabuhay is the daughter of Pag-asa and Kalinawan, a female eagle rescued in Zamboanga del Sur. —