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majichumanoid: Philippine Eagle
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pag-asaharibon: First Philippine eagle bred in captivity turns...
First Philippine eagle bred in captivity turns 20
Pag-asa, the first Philippine Eagle bred and hatched in captivity, turned 20 in January, but with neither a mate nor an offspring.
Pag-asa’s successful hatching in 1992 was considered a breakthrough, giving conservationists hope of beefing up the dwindling eagle population and leading to other successful hatching efforts in that year and the next.
At 20, Pag-asa is at the prime of his life, according to biologist Anna Mae Sumaya, the curator of the Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF) breeding program in Malagos here. (The oldest eagle at the eagle farm is 43 years old.)
Eagles are supposed to reach sexual maturity at five years of age. But Pag-asa’s semen production has been sporadic, preventing successful artificial insemination despite the best efforts of PEF conservationists.
“People keep asking about Pag-asa’s offspring. They think he already has one,” Sumaya said.
Suspecting that the eagle might be stressed by his proximity to humans, conservationists have isolated him from visitors since 2005.
“He does not like the company of people except for his surrogate parent/mate,” Sumaya said, referring to eagle caretaker Eddie Juntilla.
Pagasa has been “imprinted” with humans, Sumaya said. She said that since the eagle was hatched, he has identified closely with Juntilla as his parent and, during the mating season, as his mate.
Imprinting is defined as a rapid learning process that takes place early in the life of an animal and establishes a behavior pattern involving recognition of and attraction to identifiable attributes of its own kind or a substitute.
“Pag-asa depends for most of his needs, including food, on humans. It’s possible that he has also identified himself with humans,” Sumaya said.
During the breeding months from July to February, Juntilla brings Pag-asa sprigs from hardwood trees, playing the part of the female eagle during courtship.
But unlike other eagles in the wild, Pag-asa has never performed an aerial display, such as a dive chase during courtship or a paired soaring flight during the mating season.
“If you see him spreading his wings from end to end and wagging his tail, then be prepared. It’s the eagle’s attack position,” Sumaya said, chuckling.
It being the mating season, people visiting Pag-asa on his birthday will be only allowed to stand 15-20 meters from where he perches.
But they will also be treated to some games aimed at heightening awareness of the Philippine Eagle and its importance.
Conservation efforts are “a tool” to restore the eagle population, according to PEF executive director Dennis Salvador.
“But we are unable to cope with the threats that eagles encounter in the wild,” Salvador said. “Many of them still get shot at, and at the rate this is going on, we are in grave danger of losing the Philippine Eagle.”
Sumaya agreed, saying that the country was losing more eagles faster than the PEF could breed them at the eagle farm. She said that eagles with gunshot wounds kept turning up at the PEF Center, and that often the injuries were too grave for the birds to survive.
Philippine eagles hatch an egg only once every two years, explained Jayson Ibañez, PEF director for research.
“What makes the conservation task more daunting is the fact that by biological design, the bird is a slow breeder—one egg in every two years. But the high mortality rate makes it very difficult to replace one eagle killed in the wild,” Ibañez said.
But the more serious threats are logging and mining activities, which continue to put pressure on the country’s remaining forests, Salvador said.
He said the call for conservation was even more urgent now, with the country beginning to feel the effects of climate change and global warming.
“Twenty years ago, we were already saying that we have to invest in saving the eagle, saving the forest, because that’s the only way we can save ourselves. If we had only invested in the past, then we won’t have as grave a problem as we have now,” he said.
Hence the meaning behind my Tumblr handle. Pag-asa means hope. Known as Haribon for short, the name refers to the endangered Philippine Eagle. The Philippine Eagle is an important natural and cultural heritage. It is a powerful symbol by which our people can rally around for the conservation of our natural resources.
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csivegasquotes: Season 2, Episode 13: “Identity Crisis”
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President Obama responds to rape statement (below) from Senate...
President Obama responds to rape statement (below) from Senate candidate Richard Mourdock:
“I struggled with it myself for a long time but I came to realize, life is a gift from god and even if life begins in the horrible situation of rape it is something god intended to happen.”
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did-you-kno: Source
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mummymantis: Just in time for Halloween: 19-year-old Japanese...
Just in time for Halloween: 19-year-old Japanese art student Choo-san started drawing eyes and other decorations on her body as a way to procrastinate when bored, but they eventually turned into full-fledged, trompe l’oeil acrylic body paintings.
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most-awkward-moments: Need a laugh? This blog is just what you...
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Bruce Wayne love interests in the DCAU (Batman Adventures vol....
Bruce Wayne love interests in the DCAU (Batman Adventures vol. 2 #05)
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Need a laugh? This blog is just what you need!
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animals-plus-nature: Szegedi Vadaspark 4 by peter.busch on...
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the-absolute-best-posts: mixtapecupcake This is one of my...
This is one of my favorite set of photographs ever. Every time I see them, I can’t get over how simply beautiful they are—they’re breathtaking.
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Johnny Depp as Roux (Chocolat, 2000)
Johnny Depp as Roux (Chocolat, 2000)
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eveil: lydzistark: brotier: nice one iceland Omg, dying of...
nice one iceland
Omg, dying of laughter. What is going on Iceland NT?
hahahahahah wat
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the-absolute-best-posts: This is a great blog to follow,...
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thedisembowelist: You see this bitch? This is the fucking Audi...
You see this bitch? This is the fucking Audi A9 Concept vehicle.
It is the most beastly motherfucker to light up my Tumblr page.
The thing has engines in it’s wheels.
IN THE MOTHERFUCKING WHEELS.
See that futuristic design? Makes Acura designs look so 2010.
Oh? Where’s the windshield? It’s fully integrated into the roof using nano technology.
That means the bitch repairs itself.
Oh and that badass window and windshields?
It can change from solid like that to clear when you drive.
White isn’t a very sporty color? NO WORRIES. This beast can change it’s motherfucking color to whatever you fucking want.
THIS BITCH SHOULD GET IN MY GARAGE.
why don’t they hire people from tumblr to do commercials
oooh, I could turn it pink!
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silencingthedrums: toomanyducttapetoomanyrope: theharemuses: b...
Iron Maiden
by Rafael BenedictoYou know what I like about this? The fact the the chest piece hasn’t been designed in such a way that looking at her wrong breaks her sternum. It’s nice and feminine but actually quite practical.
YES PLEASE
Also, no goddamn heel boots!
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