Hinahon and Suplada: An eagle owl love story

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Hinahon and Suplada: An eagle owl love story
By: Robert Leonoras
BusinessWorld
7/5/2006 10:03:05 AM

Bacolod City -- Veterinarians here played matchmaker to Philippine eagle owls, Hinahon and Suplada, in hopes the the two would hit it off and make babies and give a much-needed lift to a captive-breeding program to boost the number of the endangered eagle owls in the wild.



The Philippine eagle owl, Bubo philippensis, is locally known as kuwago or bukao and is among the largest species of owls in the world. Massive deforestation and hunting caused a rapid decline in its population, putting it in the endangered list of animals.

In fact, the Negros Forest and Ecological Foundation, Inc. plans to develop a genetic bank to increase the Philippine eagle owl population.

Wildlife veterinarian Cristina Georgii, who was sent by the German government to the foundation’s Biodiversity Conservation Center to lend management and technical expertise to the project, said they will continue to breed Philippine eagle owls in captivity to develop the genetic bank.

"Our end goal is to release the birds into the wild. But currently, we are focusing our efforts on breeding the eagle owl in captivity and increase their population," she said.

The Negros foundation pioneered a captive breeding program for the Philippine eagle owl, Bubo philippensis, and other owl species endemic to the Philippines. The eagle owl is locally known as kuwago or bukao and is among the largest species of owls in the world. But massive deforestation and hunting caused a rapid decline in its population. The first eagle owl hatched in captivity, Bubo, is the offspring of Hinahon and Suplada. He was hatched in November 2005, said curator Leo Jonathan Suarez.

The foundation secured a loan that allowed it to acquire three pairs of eagle owls from the Avilon Montalban Zoological Park in Montalban, Rizal.

The German Development Service, which also supports the program, has sent Ms. Georgii to help manage the Biodiversity Conservation Center.