TINOLA: The plight of KAGSABUA

By now you must have heard about KAGSABUA (pictured left), the Philippine eagle released by the Philippine Eagle Foundation into the Mount Kitanglad Natural Park some four months ago, following treatment for a gunshot wound which the bird had attained in 2006. Upon its release, the blue-eyed eagle was the first to be fitted with a radio transmitter to monitor its activities in the wild. 

By now you must have also heard that the gadget attached to the eagle's body had stopped transmitting in July 8, and was found on July 10 buried in the bank of a creek in the park. Meters away were the eagle's severed feet.

A 22-year old vegetable farmer recently confessed to shooting the endangered bird with his air gun, thinking that it was a hawk. He chopped off its two feet, burned its feathers, brought home the carcass and prepared tinola for his friends. 

This is so sad.

There are only about 800 of these giant birds remaining in the Philippines, where deforestation and even poaching threaten the monkey-eating eagle's existence.

After the vegetable farmer had confessed to killing KAGSABUA, he was handed over by park officials to Higaonon tribal leaders, to be dealt with according to the tribe's justice system. Under Philippine law, those found guilty of killing endangered species can face up to 12 years in prison. It is said that the among members of the Higaonon tribe, offenders are made to atone for wrongdoings by offering a pig or a chicken and coins.

And why was the suspect placed by park officials under the custody of the tribe leaders? To maintain healthy relations with the community--after all, the tribes folk have been the park's partner in its efforts to conserve the Philippine eagle.

I imagine that members of the Philippine Eagle Foundation are outraged. It was they who cared for KAGSABUA--nursed him, released him into the park, and tracked his movements there. But now, that eagle has been ingested by a vegetable farmer and his friends.

The recent events follow another in 2004 when the first eagle hatched in captivity by artificial insemination was released, only to die a year later when it perched on an electrical post and was electrocuted.