A pair of Philippine Eagles were released today to the wild in a mountainous region of the Philippines, setting the stage for a recovery program for the critically endangered raptors by the Philippine Eagle Foundation.

One of the eagles was outfitted with a satellite transmitter donated by The Peregrine Fund, a partner in the foundation's eagle recovery effort. The Peregrine Fund also provided the protocol for releasing the eagles to the wild.

Experts believe just two active breeding pairs live in the Mt. Kitanglad Mountain Range, where the birds were released. The 77,336-acre (31,297-hectare) protected area contains one of the Philippines' last remaining rainforests, which provides habitat for the eagle and other rare and endemic species.

This was the first time that two eagles were released simultaneously since the Philippine Eagle Foundation began releasing captive-bred eagles in 2004. The male hatched in captivity and the female hatched in the wild but was rehabilitated in captivity after being shot.

"These experimental releases set the stage for a full-scale reintroduction of Philippine Eagles in the future, but there is yet much to learn with each eagle that we release to the wild," said Jayson Iba

For more information, contact:

Erin Katzner

Director of Global Engagement

Main Phone:208-362-3716

Direct Phone:208-362-8277