Philippine Eagle "Uswag," accidentally crash-landed into the sea off Cebu, the Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF) sadly announced on Monday, August 5.
According to PEF, the incident occurred just over a month after Uswag's release in the mountains of Burauen town on June 28, as part of the PEF's repopulation program on Leyte Island.
Uswag, along with a female eagle named "Carlito," was released in the upland village of Kagbana to bolster the eagle population in the region.
Based on global positioning system (GPS) readings, Uswag reportedly crashed and drowned off the coast of Baybay City in Leyte on July 30.
Responders recovered Uswag's body in the waters of Pilar, Cebu, on August 3, following 42 hours of search and recovery efforts.
"It is very unfortunate that we lost Uswag to accidental drowning. He was healthy and fit, and field observations indicated that he had already hunted successfully in the wild during the first few days after his release," the PEF said in its incident report.
"Sadly, perhaps because of the rains and winds brought about by the southwest monsoon, the eagle lost his flight bearings and got sucked in towards the sea," it added.
Examinations revealed no signs that the Philippine Eagle was shot or injured before drowning.
Uswag is the ninth wild eagle to accidentally crash at sea in the country. However, he is the first reintroduced wild eagle and the first with a GPS-tracking device to meet this fate.
