Monkey-Eating Eagles

Philippines, land of islands and wondrous creatures. It’s also home to more than 80 million people and counting, large families begetting large families, all with mouths to feed and heads to shelter. This is a country of tremendous natural resources being used up more quickly than you can say, “Wait a second,” and one of the hottest of the Earth’s hotspots, according to the experts. We’re talking about maybe 5-10% of the planet’s biodiversity, maybe a quarter of its coral reefs, plenty of unique species, and also some of the world’s worst environmental abuses and least environmental education. So, on my third trip here, I make it a point to see a few of its more interesting animals, while I still can, and do my small part to chip in some pesos to Filipinos working hard to protect their natural heritage, as well as to some of those who are just plain nice or hungry. I also make it a point to have fun, and try to remember as often as I can how lucky I am just to be able to come here.

So, I’m in Davao, largest city in Mindanao, which is either the first or second largest island in the country, but both Luzon and Mindanao are home to the last really viable populations of the Philippine Eagle in the world. Known to some as the Monkey-Eating Eagle, this is the second largest bird of prey in the world, and being on top of the food chain and all, needs sizable chunks of intact forest habitat to feed itself. Unfortunately, the Philippines has been seriously deforested, and what little remains continues to diminish at a quick pace. It is estimated that there remain only 400 of these eagles in Mindanao, due mostly to habitat destruction but also hunting.

Mindanao is also home to several separatist Muslim guerilla groups (including Abu Sayef and MILF), who apparently don’t like the way the country is being run, and choose to make their bases in the most remote locations in the country in order to avoid persecution by the national army. They have also tended to terrorize local people and visitors alike, making SE Mindanao and the neighboring Sulu Archipelago a big red zone and no-no for even casually cautious travelers like myself. As curious as I am about these groups, and as much as I’d like to go trekking in some of the last big forest tracts on this island, I don’t feel like pressing my luck, so I decide to visit the Philippine Eagle Center, which is dedicated to the conservation of the bird, other local birds of prey, and the preservation of their habitat.

The trip to the center from Davao by Jeepney (old WWII American jeeps converted into trucks for passenger transport and painted with any kind of colorful design often incorporating themes from American pop-culture like Elvis, Heavy Metal, or say Baywatch) takes about two hours, including a fifteen minute ride on the back of a motorbike. I learn that the center is also involved in protecting the local watershed and there’s a small forest sanctuary around the center of a few hectares. As I walk around learning interesting facts from the signage, I notice that all of the big trees have been adopted by individuals, local businesses, or organizations. I quietly think to myself that if individual trees need to be adopted then this country’s forests are in big trouble.

As nice as some of the big trees are, I notice that a good deal of the plants that are labeled have been introduced from elsewhere, and many are common household decoratives. Almost all of the eagles and other birds are in cages, as are the few other local animals, including a salt-water crocodile, a local deer, and a warty pig. A few of the birds must be well trained or unable to fly away because they’re allowed to sit outside on a branch or a metal perch. I also learn however, that they have successfully bred a few of the eagles here, and released them into large tracks of forest elsewhere on the island. Most of the birds have been rescued from one area or another.

I learn that the Monkey-Eating Eagle’s diet is composed of only 5% monkeys, whereas more than half of its food comes from flying lemurs. I wonder why it’s not called the Flying Lemur-Eating Eagle. But mostly I stand around and gape at these huge birds, which are truly magnificent looking, and despite being confined within these largish cages, still seem to be dignified and almost proud. They are quite huge, about a meter tall with a two meter wing span, enormous claws capable of tearing my face off I’m sure, and with the most interesting hairdo of feathers that jut out from the top of their heads like some kind of funk musician which jiggle when they move.

Of the more than dozen eagles that I count, only one seems to feel like flying, which he (or she) does so like clockwork, almost once every two minutes. He’s in a big, almost cylindrical cage, and I can tell when he’s going to fly by the way he stands before he takes off. I get my binoculars ready to get a good luck at him (the cage is about 5 m off of the concrete path). Even in this confined space it’s impressive to watch him, because his wings are so huge, but as big as the cage is, I can still hear the tip of his wing brush against the cage fencing as he does a big circle from his perch, around the cage, and back to his perch. It makes a light but very audible thwip-twhip-twhip-thwip, which, I think to myself, is the sound of a doomed species.

I have a similar feeling here as I do in all zoos I visit, which is a mixture of fascination, awe, and sad despair. I know the people here are doing good work though, and educating the populace, so I donate a little on top of the one dollar entrance fee I paid to get in. Still, I find it funny, in this country so full of quirks and wonderful oddities, that at the moment the terrorist groups Abu Sayef and MILF might be the most effective conservationists here, as they keep the general populace away from fear of kidnapping and violence. In my experience, the comparably few tourists in Mindanao and its neighboring islands (most stay away because of strong warnings from their embassies) make it one of the most enjoyable places to visit on my trip. It makes me wonder, if the United States continues to help the Philippine government wipe out their rebels, will it mean the end for the magnificent Philippine Eagle and the genuine welcome for the traveler in Mindanao? It’s an impossible question to answer perhaps, in this complex, interconnected world we live in…...