Rare endangered PHL Hawk-eagle shot dead in Albay

^{Philippine Hawk-eagle}

A female Philippine Hawk-eagle (Nisaetus philippensis) succumbed to its bullet wound while being treated at a veterinary clinic in Camalig, Albay.

GMA News stringer Mike Jaucian on Thursday reported on "Unang Balita" that a resident saw the wounded eagle and, together with police personnel, rushed the bird to a veterinary clinic in Camalig. But it died while being treated.

Rare, endangered

This particular species of hawk-eagle is so rare that it is listed as "endangered" by the IUCN and has only ever been seen less than a handful of times in Bicol.

"The Philippine Hawk-eagle is found only in Luzon. Based on records, this could be the only third known from the Bicol region," said Jayson Ibañez of the Philippine Eagle Foundation.

"I hope the DENR could preserve the specimen," he added.

An initial investigation showed a bullet from a cal-.22 gun hit the bird, the report said.

Florencio Adonay, the attending veterinarian, was quoted as saying that the eagle was more or less a year old and weighed one and one-half kilograms.

Also, the veterinarian said the eagle may have escaped from its cage and left its owner's house.

"Ang possibility, [alaga ito] kasi malinis at mataba siya. Usually, kung nasa wild hindi siya ganyan ka taba kasi depende sa food na makukuha niya eh. Diyan sa lugar na 'yan hindi naman thickly forested na may makukuha siyang food sources, so probably alaga siya by a private person," Adonay said.

"Nakawala sa area, eh, dun naman sa area na may gutom na tao iniskopita siya, binaril siya para kainin," he added.

According to the report, a follow-up investigation is ongoing to identify the bird's owner. — LBG/TJD, GMA News