Philippines, Singapore Partner for Conservation of Threatened Bleeding-Heart Pigeon

On 17 April 2012, the Jurong Bird Park released 2 pairs of Luzon Bleeding Heart Pigeons to its Southeast Asia Aviary witnessed by H.E. Ambassador Minda Calaguian-Cruz, Philippine Ambassador to the Republic of Singapore in accordance with the Breeding Loan Agreement between the DENR-Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau (PAWB) and the Wildlife Reserves Singapore.  Spearheading the event was the Chief Executive Officer of Wildlife Reserves Singapore, Ms. Isabella Loh who is also the Chairman of the Singapore Environment Council.

Ambassador Minda Calaguian-Cruz and Ms. Isabella Loh, Chief Executive Officer, WRS, peer intently
as the Luzon bleeding heart pigeons are released.

This event fittingly comes at a time when the global community has committed to consolidate efforts towards reducing the loss of biodiversity by declaring 2011-2020 as the UN Decade on Biodiversity.

In her remarks, Ambassador Cruz expressed her appreciation to the Jurong Bird Park and Wildlife Reserves Singapore for their commitment to assist in saving one of the country’s endangered specie of wild birds. The Ambassador highlighted that this project is the first Philippine-Singapore conservation breeding program for the Luzon Bleeding Heart Pigeon and the first ex-situ conservation project involving Philippine endemic species in the ASEAN region. She expressed hope for the success of the project and its expansion to more breeding programs/partnership at national, regional and global level.

Ambassador Minda Calaguian-Cruz looks on as a Luzon bleeding heart pigeon steps out into its
new home at the South East Asia Aviary.

The breeding loan agreement opens the window for breeding at least 10 pigeons within one year which will be returned to the Philippines as soon as they reach adulthood which takes 6 to 8 months. WRS takes the responsibility of brining the pigeons from the Philippines to Singapore and the care and repatriation of the offsprings to the Philippines. The parent stock will remain in the Southeast Asia Aviary of the Jurong Bird Park.

Luzon Bleeding Heart Pigeon (Gallicolumba luzonica) is listed under Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) which indicates that the international trade of the specie is strictly regulated.

Attesting to the significance of the event, the event was attended by the heads of the different parks including Mr. Raja Segran, General Manager, Jurong Bird Park, Mr. Vijaya Kumar Pillai, General Manager, Night Safari, Mr. Desmond Tan, General Manager, River Safari were present at the ceremony.

Note: Photo captions courtesy of Jurong Bird Park and Wildlife Reserves Singapore