ENVIRONMENT authorities have placed under rehabilitation a Pinsker’s Hawk Eagle they have retrieved in Zamboanga del Norte, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said Sunday, May 19.
The DENR regional office said the eagle is now under the care of the Regional Wildlife Rescue Center (RWRC) in Baklay village, Tukuran, Zamboanga del Sur.
“The eagle will be released back into its natural habitat once it is ready,” the DENR regional office said in a statement.
The eagle was retrieved by personnel of Community Environment and Natural Resources (CENRO)-Piñan, Zamboanga del Norte along with the Protected Area Management Office (PAMO) staff in coordination with village officials last week in Sto. Niño village, Dapitan City, Zamboanga del Norte.
Mrs. Janessa Bucol, a concerned citizen, reported discovering the eagle in its nest within a grassland area while her husband was gathering firewood.
The members of the retrieval team learned that the couple had been caring for the bird for nearly three months before contacting the authorities.
The DENR said the rescue team briefed the Bucol family on the salient features and provisions of Republic Act 9147, also known as the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act.
They emphasized the importance of promptly reporting any wildlife in captivity to the proper authorities.
The Pinsker’s Hawk Eagle is classified as endangered under DENR Administrative Order (DAO) No. 2019-09, the "Updated National List of Threatened Philippine Fauna and their Categories."
The DENR urged the public to immediately report any sightings or encounters with wildlife to aid in conservation efforts. (SunStar Zamboanga)