Philippine Eagle the Pride of the Philippines

Pithecophaga jefferyi or commonly known as the Philippine Eagle or Monkey-Eating Eagle is an endemic bird of prey in the Philippines where it is considered to be the national bird. It is one of the rarest, largest and above all most powerful birds in the world. 

Upon its discovery in 1896, it was first named Monkey-eating Eagle because of reports from Native of Bonga, Samar where the species was first discovered that it preyed exclusively on monkeys; of which it gains its generic name pithecus (ape or monkey) and phagus (eater). However, later in the course of its discovery researchers found out that it also feed on colugo, snakes, monitor lizards, civets, and even large birds like hornbills. In 1978 under the presidential proclaimation no. 615 its name was changed to Philippine Eagle and in 1995 was declared as the national emblem of the country.

Well, aside from being one of the rarest birds Philippine Eagle is also adorned for its nape with long brown feathers that form a shaggy crest which gives it the appearance of possessing a lion’s mane and in turn resembles the mythical griffin. The maximum length of the eagle exceeds that of all other living eagles. It weighs 4.7 to 8 kilograms and has a wingspan of 184 to 202 centimeters. Loud, high-pitched whistles were frequently heard noises made by this eagle.

Since it is endemic to Philippines, it can only be found in four major islands: Mindanao, Samar, Leyte and Eastern Luzon. But is largest number is found in Mindanao with between 82 and 233 breeding pairs. Its total estimated rage is about 146,000 square kilometers in dipterocarp and mid montane forests.

Species’ flight is fast and agile, resembling smaller hawks more than similar large birds of prey. With this and other factors, it made the eagles the dominant hunter in the Philippine Forests. Breeding pairs requires large home ranging from 25 to 50 square miles to successfully raise a chick and thus the species is extremely vulnerable to the regular deforestation.  Each eagle has a life expectancy for wild eagles range from 30 to 60 while in captive they lived more than 41 years. The complete breeding cycle lasts for two years. And usually females became sexually mature at five years of age and males at seven. Philippine Eagle is monogamous in nature, once paired, a couple remains for the rest of their lives and if the one dies, the remaining eagle often searches for a new mate to replace the one lost.

However, due to continuos habitat destruction and illegal hunting of this species by 2008 IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature) declared that the species was classified under CRITICALLY ENDANGERED with only 180 to 500 survives in the Philippines. Killing this species now is punishable under Philippine Law by twelve years in jail and heavy fines. In 1969 conservation program was started and by the year 1992 the first successful artificial insemination was done yet it was not until 1999 that the first naturally bred eaglet was hatched. Now the Philippine Eagle Foundation of Davao City, Mindanao was one of the largest organization dedicated to protect and conserve this species and its habitat having 32 eagles of which 18 were bred in captives.

Golden Frog of Panama

The Panamanian Golden Frog (Atelopus zeteki), was an endemic frog species to Panama and was now classified under the category Critically Endangered by the IUCN. In captivity, individuals have been collected in a bid to preserve the species, which was assumed to be extinct in the wild since 2007. It is of national symbol, appearing on state lottery tickets and in local mythology which they believed that once the frog dies it turns to gold and brings good luck to those fortunate enough to see it. In Panama, August 14 was declared as the National Golden Frog Day.

Aside from its golden appearance and smooth-skinned like feature, this Frog was actually classified as TRUE TOAD for it has the capabilty to secrete poison, a water soluble neurotoxin called zetekitoxin to protect themselves from predators.

Like other frogs, they appear to socialize with others using sounds produced and handwaving.  Handwaving signals vary from friendly waves to signals to back off.  However, the species faces its decline numbers possibly due to fungal infection, chytriodiomycosis, which is an invasive fungal pathogen that reached El Valle, the home of these Panamanian Golden Frogs in the year 2006. The fungus affects the frog’s skin which causes it to be dry resulting to difficulty in breathing. But later in the course, scientist also found out that this fungal infection can also be brought by climate change. And it kills 80% of the native population within a month.

With all these alarming state, “Project Golden Frog” was established with the coordination of the Republic of Panama and United States that aims primarily in greater understanding of the golden frogs, heightened current global awareness towards them and preservation and conservation of this vanishing species. 

Bengal Tigers the Ferocious Adorable Cat

Natives to parts of Asia and India, Bengal Tigers were endangered species with a wild population of around 5,000 to 7,000. Yet their number were considered to be numerous than any other kind. Many people consider this cat as the most beautiful and adorable because of its vibrant orange and black stripes in their coat. Their coat actually is a yellow to light orange with stripes range from dark brown to black. Belly is white and tail is while with black rings. Not to mention also the one of a kind vibrant skin and must seen mutation of the Bengal Tigers, the White Tiger having stripes of white and black and some are entirely white. Another interesting feature was the sport white spots on the backside of each tiger’s ear which serves many functions. It helps the cub to see their mother at the same time it gives an illusion to its possible predator to appear ferociously dangerous when attacked from its back.

Males reach maturity at 4–5 years of age, and females at 3–4 years. Mating can occur at any time, but is most prevalent between November and April. A tigress comes into heat at intervals of about 3–9 weeks, and is receptive for 3–6 days. After a gestation period of 104–106 days, 1–4 cubs are born in a shelter situated in tall grass, thick bush or in caves. Newborn cubs weigh 780–1600 g (2 lb) and they have a thick wooly fur that is shed after 3.5–5 months. Their eyes and ears are closed. Their milk teeth start to erupt at about 2–3 weeks after birth, and are slowly replaced by permanent dentition from 8.5–9.5 weeks of age onwards. They suckle for 3–6 months, and begin to eat small amounts of solid food at about 2 months of age. At this time, they follow their mother on her hunting expeditions and begin to take part in hunting at 5–6 months of age. At the age of 2–3 years, they slowly start to separate from the family group and become transient — looking out for an area, where they can establish their own territory. Young males move further away from their mother's territory than young females. Once the family group has split, the mother comes into heat again.

The conservation efforts of many organizations are aimed to save the Bengal tiger, as well as their relatives which include the Sumatran and Siberian tigers. Without their help and the general public's support, we may see these beautiful cats become extinct in the wild within the next 10 years.

The most significant immediate threat to the existence of wild tiger populations is the illegal trade in poached skins and body parts between India, Nepal and China. The governments of these countries have failed to implement adequate enforcement response, and wildlife crime remained a low priority in terms of political commitment and investment for years. There are well-organized gangs of professional poachers, who move from place to place and set up camp in vulnerable areas. Skins are rough-cured in the field and handed over to dealers, who send them for further treatment to Indian tanning centres. Buyers choose the skins from dealers or tanneries and smuggle them through a complex interlinking network to markets outside India, mainly in China

The illicit demand for bones and body parts from wild tigers for use in Traditional Chinese medicine is another reason for the unrelenting poaching pressure on tigers on the Indian subcontinent. For at least a thousand years, tiger bones have been an ingredient in traditional medicines that are prescribed as a muscle strengthener and treatment for rheumatism and body pain.

Other factors contributing to their loss are urbanization and revenge killing. Farmers blame tigers for killing cattle and shoot them. Their skins and body parts may however become a part of the illegal trade.

The Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI) works with law enforcement agencies in India to apprehend tiger poachers and wildlife tradersthroughout India. WPSI investigates and verifies any seizure of tiger parts and unnatural tiger deaths that are brought to their notice. Between 1994 and 2009, WPSI has documented 893 cases of tigers killed in India, which is just a fraction of the actual poaching and trade in tiger parts during those years. In 2007, police in Allahabad raided a meeting of suspected poachers, traders and couriers. One of the arrested persons was the biggest buyer of tiger parts in India who used to sell them off to the Chinese traditional medicinal market, using women from a nomadic tribe as couriers.

In 2006, India's Sariska Tiger Reserve lost all of its 26 tigers, mostly to poaching. In 2009, none of the 24 tigers residing in the Panna Tiger Reserve were left due to excessive poaching. 

Lyre Bird the Superb Mocker

Lyrebird was not only one of Australia’s best-known native birds but also one of the world’s talented birds. It is most notable for their superb ability to mimic natural and artificial sounds from their environment. Their ability to mimic sounds can fool even the most experienced bird watchers with a number of bird calls and cries that they can imitate. But aside of their extraordinary mimicking ability, lyrebirds were also noted because of their striking beauty with unique plumes of neutral colored tailfeathers and courtship display. On winter, Male lyre birds construct and maintain an opera-mound in dense bush for them to sing and dance in courtship. It is only during courtship that male lyre birds spread their huge tail for fanned out display. Female birds were considered sole parent and carer of the chick, who lays a single egg and incubates it for over 50 days til it hatch. They were known to be ground dwellers which fed on insects, spiders and occassionally on seeds by scratching on leaf-litter. Being awkward in flight they usually run in case of danger.  So called Lyre birds because of its spectacular tail consisting sixteen highly modified feathers of which two long slender lyrates at the center of the plume, two broader medians on the outside edges and twelve filamentaries arrayed between them can be seen which was originally thought to resemble a lyre

Their call is a rich mixture of its own song and a number of sounds they mimic from their environment. The bird’s syrinx is the most complexly-muscled of the Songbirds giving them the extraordinary ability, unmatched in vocal repertoire and mimicry. They mimic other animals, machinery of all kinds, explosions, human noises and even musical instruments, from whistles to chainsaws, car engines, alarms, camera shutters, crying babies, barking dogs and most of all human voices. They were also noted to carry out two notes at the same time.

For its classification, lyre birds have been classified in their own family the MENURIDAE which contains a single genus the Menura. Once seriously threatened by habitat destruction it is now classified as common. Lyre birds were ancient Australian animals with their fossils in the Australian Museum dating back to abou 15 million years ago. Their prehistoric counterpart the Menura tyawanoides has been described from Early Miocene Fossils. They have been featured as symbol and emblem of New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland. Found also in the reverse Australian 10 cent coin, 100 dollar note, Australian Film Commission