PERSONNEL of the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (Cenro)-Piñan has released a Crested Serpent Eagle back to its natural habitat, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said Sunday, December 1, 2024.
The DENR-Zamboanga Penisula said the eagle was released by the personnel of Cenro-Piñan together with the staff of the Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office (Menro) last week in Mount Sinai, Sergio Osmeña, Zamboanga del Norte.
The DENR said the eagle was turned over to Cenro-Piñan by Nora Matias, a resident of Sitio Sicoco, Del Pilar, Piñan, after discovering the bird in her backyard during heavy rainfall on November 17.
The bird, which was identified as juvenile Crested Serpent Eagle, was then brought to the Zamboanga del Norte Provincial Veterinarian Office for further evaluation and treatment.
“The assessment confirms the eagle’s good health, with no visible injuries, making it fit for release,” the DENR-Zamboanga Peninsula said in a statement.
After the eagle’s release, the Cenro and Menro personnel conducted a house-to-house information drive in Sinai village Sergio Osmeña, distributing brochures on wildlife conservation, climate change adaptation, and ecological solid waste management.
The activity was aimed to promote wildlife conservation and the protection of natural habitats in the community.
The DENR said the Crested Serpent Eagle, categorized as Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), plays a role in maintaining biodiversity.
Conservation efforts are necessary to ensure the species’ protection, according to the DENR. (SunStar Zamboanga)