Metro Manila, Philippines – A Philippine eagle named Mangayon, rescued in Compostela, Davao de Oro, has succumbed to severe blood loss caused by a gunshot wound to its left wing.
The Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF) reported that soldiers spotted the injured male eagle during a patrol in Barangay Mangayon. A rescue team that was later dispatched from the city capital to the Compostela mountains found the wounded bird unresponsive, with a partially dilated right eye. Initial assessments indicated slight dehydration.
“Vets suspect that the gun wound was from an improvised jolen or marble gun that was fired while the eagle was perched,” the PEF said.
Further physical and medical tests in Davao City revealed the severity of the injury. Veterinarian Bayani Vandenbroeck “discovered an entry wound in the left tarsal area of the eagle’s wing, which exited through the opposite side and extended to the left keel area of Mangayon’s wing,” shattering the bones.
Despite efforts to save him, the PEF said Mangayon succumbed to his injuries and was declared dead at 9:49 PM on Monday, July 8. Necropsy results revealed that Mangayon was healthy before the incident, with all internal organs in good condition. The primary cause of death was severe blood loss, with a high probability of sepsis.
Mangayon’s case marks the 20th eagle rescue since 2020 and the fourth this year. PEF executive director Dennis Salvador urged the government to enhance intervention measures to protect the critically endangered national bird.
“We would mostly need LGU (local government unit) and national government actions and investment. The civil society sector can only do so much. We need government political will and action. There should also be additional financing to a systematic and nationwide species survival campaign before it’s too late for our national bird,” Salvador said.
The Philippine eagle, also known as the monkey-eating eagle, is critically endangered. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) estimates that only 400 pairs are left in the wild.
The PEF notes that these majestic birds are found only on four islands in the Philippines: Luzon, Samar, Leyte, and Mindanao.
