A month after Philippine eagle chick no. 29 hatched its way into the world, the Philippine Eagle Foundation released the most wholesome update on 29’s wellbeing: people are loving this video of the chick being fed with an eagle hand puppet.
“Mangaon ta (Let’s eat),” the Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF) posted on their Facebook page this week, with the 48-second clip that would soften even the most cynical viewers.
“Chick 29 at one week old enjoying a meal with the help of an eagle hand puppet. We used puppet rearing to keep Chick 29 from getting used to human presence. Limited human contact can help ensure a successful natural pairing with another eagle,” PEF explained.
That said, Chick 29 can rest easy, as he’s “still living the life as the (Philippine Eagle Center’s) bunso (baby)!”
The Davao-based foundation thanked wildlife art studio The Featherdust Studio for the “amazing” Philippine eagle puppet.
Chick no. 29’s arrival comes five years after the last eaglet, Sakura, was hatched at the Philippine Eagle Center.
Found only in the Philippines, the Philippine eagle is one of the rarest birds in the world. The International Union for Conservation of Nature Foundation estimates that there are about 400 pairs of Philippine eagles in the wild.
These eagles take five to seven years to sexually mature and only lay a single egg every two years.
Looks like we’ll have more time to enjoy adorable videos of 29 every now and then.
