PHILIPPINE EAGLE

The Philippine eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi), reportedly one of the world’s largest and heaviest eagles, is endemic to the Philippines. The Philippine eagle was proclaimed the national bird of the Philippines in 1995 by former President Fidel V. Ramos. Many have called the conservation of the species a lost cause due to the dangers they face of deforestation and poaching, according to a 2018 article by Bong S. Sarmiento published online in Earth Island Journal. This is doubly problematic considering that the existence of the Philippine eagle is an indicator of ecological health, as the species is known to prey on animals which are also crucial to the maintenance of healthy ecosystems, reported Jonathan Mayuga in a 2018 article for Business Mirror.