THE PHILIPPINE Eagle found dead of electrocution on Sunday, Oct. 4, in Libertad, Arakan, Cotabato was actively shot days prior, the necropsy report showed.
The document obtained from the Philippine Eagle Foundation and prepared by veterinarian Dr. Bayani Vandenbroeck reported two air-gun pellets recovered from the body.
The left-wing bullet associated with a recent wound is estimated to be a few days old.
“This provides evidence that the eagle had been actively shot/hunted shortly before her death,” the report detailed.
PEF recorded that this is the second Philippine Eagle that died from electrocution this month. The other one was a young female Philippine Eagle that was found dead near an electrical post in Barangay Guinalaban, Salay, Misamis Oriental on Oct. 1.
But this is the fourth death from electrocution of the critically endangered raptor since 2004.
The examination of the eagle in Arakan showed burn marks were present on the primary and secondary flight feathers of the left wing and on the middle digit of the right foot, involving the distal phalanx, which is “highly suggestive of electrocution.”
“The thoracic and abdominal musculature appeared grossly normal, with some subcutaneous fat deposition along the abdomen,” the report reads.
Electrocution was confirmed as the cause of death; the report detailed enlargement of the heart with fluid surrounding it within the pericardial sac, and the right atrium appeared ruptured and hemorrhagic.
The report added that the stomach and intestines were hemorrhagic, the liver and kidneys were enlarged and hemorrhagic, and the gallbladder was enlarged.
While radiographs revealed no obvious fractures, two metallic foreign bodies were identified and confirmed to be airgun pellets
after extraction.
One bullet was adjacent to the distal left radius and ulna, and another along the medial aspect of the distal right tibia/tibiofibula.
“The shooting injury is considered a significant concurrent finding but is not considered the primary cause of death based on the necropsy findings,” the report said.
PEF has raised a red flag over the growing threat of accidental electrocution to the critically endangered Philippine Eagle.
Eagles killed in these incidents are typically young, immature, and naive to the dangers posed by human infrastructure and energized power poles.
Jayson Ibañez, PEF director for operations, said that when perching on power pole crossarms, an eagle’s wide wingspan can bridge the gap between positive and negative lines, creating an electrical circuit that causes fatal internal damage.
Ibañez warned that the threat will escalate as electrification projects expand further into upland communities and near eagle habitats.
“What we would want to do is to seek the help of the electric cooperatives who are owners of these power poles, and introduce an innovative technology that retrofits and protects itong mga crossarm so that they won’t electrocute ‘yung mga eagles natin,” Ibañez said.
To prevent further losses, PEF is advocating for a National Bird Act which will require a “whole-of-nation” approach involving key government agencies and energy providers.
Proposed measures include mandatory retrofitting, requiring power companies, the Department of Energy (DOE), and the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to install insulated, bird-safe technology on crossarms and lines near identified nesting sites.
PEF is committed to assisting in data-driven mapping, utilizing PEF’s GIS-based habitat mapping to help authorities pinpoint high-risk power lines needing priority insulation.
Ibañez pushed for passing new legislation to secure dedicated funding and resources for eagle conservation and habitat protection.
With the breeding season approaching, PEF is urging prompt action to safeguard the remaining wild population.
According to PEF estimates, there are fewer than 400 pairs of Philippine Eagles left in the wild.
