Pag-asa (eagle)


Pag-asa is a male Philippine eagle and the first of its species to be bred and hatched in captivity.

Conception

Pag-asa bred by a team of the Philippine Eagle Conservation Program Foundation led by executive director Dennis Salvador and camp manager Domingo Tanada. Pag-asa is a result of 14 years of research.
Pag-asa was bred through artificial insemination and was hatched through combined artificial and natural incubation technique taught by the World Center For Birds of Prey. The animal was the first offspring of Philippine eagles Diola and Junior. Then 29-year-old Diola, laid the egg of Pag-asa and Junior found in Agusan, was the sperm donor. The egg was placed under Diola for 12 days before it was transferred to an incubator. According to the PECPF, the breeding technique improved the hatchability of the egg by as much as 30 percent.

Hatching

Pag-asa was hatched at 10:40 pm PST on January 15, 1992 at the Philippine Eagle Center in Barangay Malagos at the Calinan district in Davao City and was the first of its kind to be successfully bred and hatched in captivity. Hatched four days earlier than expected, it weighed at its hatching. The chick had a hard time getting out of its egg and a PECPF staff member had to crack open the egg.
Pag-asa was named after the Tagalog term for "hope" by PECPF team responsible for the eagle's breeding. Awareness of conservation efforts on the endangered Philippine eagles increased after the hatching of Pag-asa.
Then-Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte declared Pag-asa's hatch day as Philippine Eagle Day or Pag-asa Day. Following Pag-asa's hatching, the Philippine Eagle Center was able to establish breeding and rearing protocols.

Adult life

Pag-asa had its first chick on February 9, 2013 through artificial insemination. The chick hatched on 1:55 a.m PST from its egg which was laid by then 29-year old eagle, Kalinawan. It weighed 158 grams at its hatching. The chick was the first offspring of an eagle bred in captivity. The chick was later named Mabuhay and determined to be female.
Pag-asa is unsuitable to be released to the wild and will remain in captivity due to its dependence to its humans particularly its keeper, Eddie Juntilla, to whom it has imprinted on.