Up close and personal with ‘Imbulog’
Delightful experience for Australian ambassador
DAVAO CITY – The mere sight of the huge Philippine eagle moved one of the lady staffers of Australian Ambassador to the Philippines Amanda Gorely to tears.
“I’m feeling emotional about this,” the lady staffer said as Imbulog stood majestically perched on his handler Bongbong’s arm.
With a span of over seven feet and standing nearly four feet tall, Imbulog, which means “to soar,” is a captive eagle at the Philippine Eagle Center in Barangay Malagos here.
The staff member also shared how Imbulog’s eyes, which has a tinge of blue in the middle, seemed to pierce right through her, as if the large bird could look through her.
But if there is one person who has had her eyes on Imbulog these last few months, its Gorely, herself.
According to Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF) research head Jayson Ibanez, Gorey had even come to the center early this year, sans the usual fanfare that usually accompanied visits made by top diplomats, and has since been looking for ways to assist in the conservation of the biodiversity in the region since then.
So it was no longer a surprise that Gorely took some time off from her hectic schedule in celebration of Philippine-Australian Week here to pay Imbulog and the other eagles at the center a visit.
Gorely came up close to Imbulog as she engaged her handler in a conversation, with the adult eagle appearing to be at ease with her presence, regularly gazing at the diplomat like he knew what the humans were talking about.
Bongbong said that this behavior could be traced to Imbulog being a captive bred at the center, which meant that he has been used to seeing human around him. Imbulog was actually known as Chick 23 before he was given his lofty name.
In fact, this even became a problem with the scientists at the center who tried to release him into the wild to no avail in the past.
"We tried releasing him before," Ibanez told the Manila Bulletin.
His friendliness towards humans stayed with him in the wild, straying into local residents’ homes like he was just a regular pet returning to his owner. And this could be dangerous for such an endangered – and much-coveted – raptor.
But lest others may perceive that other Philippine eagles could be as friendly to humans like Imbulog, Ibanez was quick to underscore that this was only because Bongbong had worked with the raptor throughout his life.
“Not all raptors behave that way,” Ibanez warned.
As for Gorey, her most recent call on the center wasn’t the usual visit paid by an admirer.
She announced that the Australian government was pledging P1 million in aid to assist in a forest program around Mt. Apo, where the eagles in the region can be found.