A Philippine Eagle, critically endangered, was found with several airgun bullets in its body and caught in a trap set for wild boars in Kabugao, Apayao.

The 38-year-old farmer, who found the eagle, handed it over to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Philippine Eagle Foundation.

The eagle was brought to a veterinarian in Laoag City for treatment, where X-rays revealed several air gun pellets lodged in its body.

"Pero wala ng entry wound na nakita which means matagal nang nangyari yung shooting, pero ang medyo urgent na injury niya ay swollen right leg, effect nung nylon loose na nakahuli by accident," Dr. Jayson Ibañez, Chairman for Operations of the Philippine Eagle Foundation, said.

Critically endangered and facing extinction within the next 50 years, eagles continue to be at risk due to hunting and trapping.

The foundation calls on the government to regulate air guns and has initiated discussions with indigenous peoples and local communities regarding the use of traps.

"Although siya ang king of the skies, madalas din siyang maglakad sa forest floor para maghanap ng prey items like snakes, rodents, kaya vulnerable sila dito sa mga trap," Ibañez said.

The eagle is expected to be released back into the wild after two or three months of rehabilitation.

The Philippine Eagle Foundation has been involved actively in eagle conservation efforts since the discovery of the first eagle's nest in Calanasan, Apayao, in 2015, followed by the rescue of another eagle in the town of Pudtol in 2016.

They said that protecting the eagle population could potentially elevate the Lowland Forest of Apayao to become the fourth UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in the country.