Philippine Eagle Chick Dies in Python Attack

The most recent Philippine Eagle to be hatched in captivity was found dead in its enclosure and surveillance footage showed it was preyed upon by a python, convervationists said Friday.

Chick 29 was hatched only last December and gave hope to efforts to save the country's national bird from extinction. The snake apparently breached the raptor's enclosure in Davao City.

The conservation center of the Phlippine Eagle Foundation is located in the habitat of the pythons, the group said. Aside from snakes, the eagles also face the threat of avian influenza.

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"Our hearts may be broken by the loss of Chick 29 but we are not disheartened to continue the fight in saving our national bird," the foundation said.

The Philippines' national bird, also called the Monkey-Eating Eagle, is critically endangered or just two steps away from extinction, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature or IUCN. There are just 180 to 500 such raptors left and their population is decreasing, the IUCN said.

In January, Pag-Asa, the first Philippine Eagle to be hatched in captivity, died after suffering from fungal and parasitic infections.

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