TACLOBAN CITY – The Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF) announced on Monday the tragic death of male Philippine Eagle "Uswag" after he accidentally crash-landed on the sea in Cebu.
The tragedy happened over a month after the raptor’s release in the mountains of Burauen town on June 28 as part of the PEF’s repopulation program in Leyte Island.
In a report released by PEF, it disclosed that Uswag crashed and drowned off the coast of Baybay City in Leyte on July 30 based on global positioning system (GPS) readings.
Responders retrieved Uswag's carcass in the waters of Pilar, Cebu, on Aug. 3 following 42 hours of search and recovery efforts.
“It is very unfortunate that we lost Uswag to accidental drowning. He was healthy and fit and there was an evidence based on field observations that he has already hunted successfully in the wild during the first few days after his release. Sadly, perhaps because of the rains and winds brought about by the southwest monsoon, the eagle lost his flight bearings and got sucked in towards the sea,” the PEF said in its incident report.
There were no signs that the Philippine Eagle was shot or injured prior to drowning based on examination.
“Uswag” is the 9th case of wild eagles accidentally crashing at sea in the country. However, he is the first reintroduced wild eagle and the first with a GPS tracking device to crash at sea.
The raptor is one of the two Philippine Eagles released on June 28 in the upland village of Kagbana, together with the female eagle “Carlito.” (PNA)
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