ONE year after its translocation, Philippine Eagle Lakpue was spotted at an altitude of about 288.9 meters MSL (mean sea level), perching on a Hagimit tree near the Pangalaw-an River in Barangay Mahagnao, Burauen, Leyte, on May 17, 2026.
Lakpue was seen through a field scope preening his feathers during the field monitoring.
At present, the activity area of Lakpue is around 613 hectares, but it is expanding, especially as the eagle continues to explore new places. Lakpue spends most of his time in the riverine forests along the Marabong River in Mahagnao.
Members of the media, together with Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF) field technicians and forest guards, conducted Philippine Eagle monitoring and located the eagle via radio telemetry to document the species' behavior and safety after its translocation.
The eagle is already 23 years old and was rescued as a fragile nestling after it was stolen from its nest in July 2003 in Mt. Busa, Maitum, Sarangani Province. He was then nursed back to health and was taken care of at the Philippines Eagle Center in Davao City.
Lakpue was then translocated and released on September 30, 2025, in Barangay Kagbana. The translocation is an effort by the foundation to repopulate the eagle population in the region after it was wiped out by Typhoon Yolanda in 2013.
Dr. Jayson Ibañez, PEF director for operations, said that after one year of translocation, Lakpue is adjusting well to his release area. He pointed out that the eagle is already hunting on its own and, based on their records, Lakpue has successfully caught monitor lizards, palm civets, and sailfin lizards.
Ibañez added that Lakpue stays inside the forest and rarely goes near houses or roads, noting that the eagle is staying in the right habitat.
He said Lakpue is showing behaviors similar to those of wild eagles, such as hiding in thick foliage, walking along the riverbank and forest floor while hunting, and flying from tree to tree looking for prey.
Protection
With the Philippine Eagle considered a critically endangered species, the foundation conducts daily monitoring of Lakpue and has fitted the eagle with satellite and radio transmitters to track his movements.
Ibañez said daily monitoring is important for the Philippine Eagle because it reduces the risk of shooting and trapping. He explained that if the public knows Lakpue is constantly being monitored, they are discouraged from harming or capturing him.
He said daily monitoring also helps them document Lakpue’s behavior, movement, hunting patterns, and responses, especially in his new environment. He added that keeping records would help determine whether their release methods are effective and identify what adjustments or protocol improvements are needed.
Ibañez said that to bolster information dissemination in areas surrounding Lakpue’s territory, the foundation, together with the local government unit and other concerned agencies, conducted education campaigns in sitios and communities within a six-kilometer radius of his release site.
He said the information campaign ensures that people within Lakpue’s territory are aware of his presence and understand how to help keep him safe. He added that they also partnered with the Philippine National Police to strengthen enforcement against hunting and trapping in the area, as well as support the implementation of the gun ban.
On the part of the local government, the Municipality of Burauen has declared the Philippine Eagle its flagship species, adopted national laws, and implemented local measures to help protect the eagle within its territory. He said they would secure policy and funding support from the province of Leyte to provide conservation efforts on the island with stronger and more sustainable backing.
Help in the gene pool
Earlier, the PEF revealed that the Philippine Eagle has low genetic diversity, which could heavily affect the species’ future. The foundation noted that the most inbred subspecies could be found in Samar and Leyte.
Low genetic diversity increases the possibility that eagle offspring will suffer reduced fitness, lower survival rates, and diminished adaptability.
Ibañez said that with the breeding season approaching this July, they are hoping Lakpue and Carlito, a female Philippine Eagle also translocated to Leyte, would find each other and interact. Although he admitted there is no guarantee the two would pair up, they remain hopeful that courtship and mating behaviors may begin if attraction and pair bonding occur.
“This kind of pairing may help strengthen genetic diversity, which is important for the long-term health of the Philippine Eagle population,” he told SunStar Davao on May 20, 2026.
He added that if Lakpue and Carlito did pair, their offspring would bring valuable genetic diversity to the population in the area since both eagles come from different mountain ranges. Carlito is from Mt. Pasian in Agusan del Sur, Northern Mindanao, while Lakpue is from Mt. Busa in Southern Mindanao. With the two eagles originating from areas far apart, their offspring would contribute two distinct genetic lines to the Leyte population.
Future eagle translocation
With Lakpue’s translocation showing promising results, the foundation is considering translocating more eagles to Leyte. Ibañez said that based on their current assessment, the Mt. Anonang-Lobi Range in Leyte can support the release of about 16 Philippine Eagles.
Ibañez shared that Lakpue was found near the Pangalaw-an River in Barangay Mahagnao, Leyte.
Other Philippine Eagles, such as Carlito, were last seen on November 6, 2025, actively hunting, while Sinabadan remains within the forest interiors of the Marabong Watershed in Javier, with GPS data showing that she is active and well-adjusted to her release area.
Addressing concerns regarding the translocation of Philippine Eagles following the drowning incident involving Philippine Eagle Uswag, Ibañez said that working with living animals always involves risks, including death. He noted that eagles die in the wild due to both natural causes and human-related threats.
He said the trial translocation in Leyte serves as a way to learn how to reduce Philippine Eagle losses in the future. By monitoring each released eagle, they would be able to improve their methods and give the birds a better chance of survival. Through information dissemination, they also hope people will become more aware of and understand the reasons behind the translocation efforts.
Ibañez said they aim to release 11 additional eagles within the next three to four years, although this will depend on whether they can acquire young or juvenile eagles from Mindanao with the consent of communities, local government units, and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
He said they expect some mortality in the wild; however, a 25 percent mortality rate would mean that four out of 16 eagles may not survive due to natural or human-related causes.
The foundation has already released five eagles, and to reach the target of 16, they need to release 11 more.
In preparation for future translocations, the Municipality of Javier has approved funding support from its municipal funds since it will host the next eagle release.
To recall, the goal of translocating Philippine Eagles from Mindanao to Leyte is to reintroduce juvenile Philippine Eagles to the island. Leyte was chosen because of the absence of Philippine Eagle sightings following the devastation caused by Super Typhoon Yolanda in 2013. After the typhoon, no eagle sightings were recorded during subsequent annual surveys in the affected areas.
The eagles are exclusively found on four islands across the country — Luzon, Leyte, Samar, and Mindanao—which comprise 60 percent of their population. RGP
