According to the Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF), the first successful hatching at the recently opened National Bird Breeding Sanctuary (NBBS) in Eden, Toril district, Davao City occurred on November 11 when a Philippine Eagle chick was born.
Through cooperative artificial insemination, the chick was hatched, and over the first seven days, its mother, Pinpin, naturally incubated the egg.
The semen used in the procedure came from the father, Sinag, who lives in the Philippine Eagle Center (PEC).
Major achievement in eagle conservation
“The hatching of Philippine Eagle Chick #30 represents a major achievement in eagle conservation and is a milestone for the sanctuary, which launched operations only months ago,” PEF said.
The chick's survival during its 56-day incubation period hinged on meticulous intervention, according to Domingo Tadena, facility manager, and PEF's conservation breeding specialist.
PEF employed the "help out" technique, by gently popping through the airspace in the egg to prevent the baby eagle from suffocating due to carbon dioxide buildup.
Safe environment for the baby eagle
According to Tadena, NBBS would improve long-term recovery efforts for the Philippines' national bird by offering a safe habitat for the chick's development.
One of the main elements of PEF's efforts to save the endangered eagle is the sanctuary, which is intended for the species' nesting and safe incubation.
