Philippine Eagle Riley passes away
Philippine Eagle Riley has died.
The foundation announced the sad news on its social media pages alongside a black-and-white photo of the three-month-old eaglet.
"Though the eaglet's time with us was short, Riley captured hearts and inspired hope—becoming a powerful symbol for his species’ conservation from hatch day to every milestone along the way," the caption read.
It added, "We extend our deepest gratitude to our dedicated animal keepers, veterinarians, and support staff who gave Riley the utmost care throughout his life."
PEF also expressed gratitude to the people who showed love to Riley and assured that they "strive to secure a future for our national bird."
While there is no word yet on the cause of the eagle's death, PEF underscored that a full necropsy is being conducted.
Riley, or Chick no. 31, was born on January 16 as the offspring of eagles Sinag and Dakila.
Sinag, the Philippine eagle featured on the new P1,000 peso bill, was the youngest captive-bred Philippine eagle at the Philippine Eagle Center in Davao City in 2018.
Meanwhile, Dakila, Riley's mother, was dubbed one of PEF's promising female Philippine Eagles as she has "been active in breeding with her keeper as her surrogate mate."
According to PEF, Riley’s hatching is the first-ever documented unassisted natural hatching.
The Philippine eagle is the largest forest raptor in the Philippines and the country's national bird.
It is one of the rarest eagles in the world, and it can only be seen on four islands in the country: Luzon, Samar, Leyte, and Mindanao.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature also lists them as "critically endangered," with an estimated 400 pairs left in the wild.
