Happy birthday, Pag-asa!
The celebrated Philippine eagle — the first to be bred and hatched in captivity in the country — celebrated her 25th birthday.
Hatched on Jan 15, 1992, Pag-asa was produced “under the captive breeding program of the non-profit Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF) through the combined artificial and natural incubation technique taught by the World Center for Birds of Prey,” notes The Philippine Star.
Pag-asa ia the unofficial poster girl of Philippine eagles. She has been a big help in raising awareness and involvement in the conservation mission.
“Pag-asa symbolizes hope that inspires us to continue with the captive breeding program and other PEF programs to put a stop to the dwindling population of the Philippine Eagle,” said Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III, who also chairs PEF.
PEF breeds eagles in captivity to increase the bird’s population. 36 eagles are kept in Philippine Eagle Center in Barangay Malagos, Calinan District, Davao.
Pag-asa stays in a large dome. Her caretakers say that she is not yet ready to be released into the wild because she has become dependent on her human keepers. She laid her first egg in 2013.
The Philippine Eagle was declared the national bird of the Philippines, replacing the maya, in 1995 by then president Fidel V. Ramos.
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