Muling nanawagan sa mga mambabatas si Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Roy A. Cimatu na amiyendahan ang Republic Act (RA) 9147 o ang Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act of 2001 upang matiyak na magkakaroon ng mas mahigpit na parusa sa mga lumalabag dito dahil na rin sa pagdami ng bilang ng mga nasasagip na Philippine eagle sa gitna ng pandemya.
Inilabas ni Cimatu ang pahayag na ito matapos pakawalan ang Philippine eagle na pinangalanang “Godod” sa munisipalidad ng Godod, Zamboanga del Norte noong Enero 10.
“Experts in Philippine eagle biology and ecology deem that the surge in rescues during this time means that culprits are intruding into the forests to hunt for food and as a source of livelihood, thereby causing a disturbance in the forest habitats,” saad ni Cimatu.
“We have to remain vigilant and let the perpetrators know that there are environmental laws they have to face if they continue with such evil deeds. Continuously confronted with such acts, we urge our lawmakers to help us protect the Philippine eagle and other wildlife species,” aniya.
Si Godod na isang babaeng Philippine eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi) ay nailigtas matapos maiulat na ito ay naipit at nasa residente mula sa Barangay Bunawan, Godod, Zamboanga del Norte.
Agad na nagpadala ng grupo ang Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) ng Liloy, Zamboanga del Norte upang iligtas ang ibon.
Dumaan din ang ibon sa X-ray bilang bahagi ng standard operating procedures sa pagligtas sa mga ibon upang makita kung ito ay may mga bali o iba pang sugat.
Sinuri din ito para sa AI o Avian Influenza at NCD o New Castle’s Disease upang malaman kung wala itong sakit.
Matapos ang mabusising eksaminasyon, ang provincial veterinarians ng Zamboanga Sibugay ay nagrekomenda na ang ibon ay malusog para pakawalan.
Binigyang-diin naman ni DENR-Zamboanga Peninsula, In-Charge, Office of the Regional Executive Director and Assistant Regional Director for Technical Services Ronald Gadot na ang Philippine eagle ay “indicator species in terms of assessing the richness of forest ecosystems and biodiversity in an area.”
“As a top predator, the Philippine eagle makes its home where food/prey is abundant. The mountainous areas of Godod harbor wildlife such as monkeys, hornbills, snakes, flying lemurs, wild pigs, wild cats, and a host of other wildlife species which form a major part of its diet. The close canopy of the Dipterocarp forest and its elevation makes the area a perfect home for these eagles to thrive,” paliwanag ni Gadot.
Bago pakawalan ay nilagyan din ng marka at global positioning system o GPS tracker ang ibon at tiningnan kung ang lugar ng pinagpakawalan nito ay angkop para gawing tirahan.
Ang Philippine eagle ay kasama sa critically endangered species sa ilalim ng DENR Administrative Order 2019-09 na mas kilala sa tawag na National Lists of Threatened Philippine Fauna and their Categories at sa Appendix I ng Convention on International Trade for Endangered Species of Wild Fauna at Flora o CITES kung saan sinasabi na ang naturang uri ng ibon ay nanganganib nang maubos.
Kabilang din ito sa International Union for Conservation of Nature o IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. ###
