She was a majestic bird, with a giant wingspan that allowed her to soar above her native Philippine forests, but Pamana the eagle will fly no more - she was found shot dead on the forest floor last week, only two months after being released into the wild.
Pamana was one of only a handful of Philippine eagles left in the world. There are only 400 pairs remaining in the wild, according to the Philippine Eagle Foundation.
The organization, which is dedicated to preserving and protecting the critically endangered birds, explained that despite laws protecting them, "Philippine eagles are still being shot or captured ... mostly out of fear and ignorance, or worse, just for sport."
Pamana was a beloved bird, not only for her rarity and beauty but also for her story of perseverance: Only months ago, Pamana was in the foundation's care recovering from a different shooting. She recovered and was released back into the wild, where foundation biologists worked to track her movements.
She first arrived in the foundation's care three years ago when she was just an eaglet, after suffering two gunshot wounds.
In a recent update, the foundation announced that Pamana was "doing well" in a protected forest area, and that she "she is very active and elusive."
Sadly Pamana couldn't elude the humans who shot and killed her last week. On August 10, her transmitter went into "mortality mode," indicating that she hadn't moved in 6 hours.
The foundation posted a distraught update about its beloved bird on its Facebook page, saying, "Pamana, like her name, is now a memory."
Like Cecil, Pamana was worth so, so much more alive than dead. Not only was she a beautiful bird, but she was also one of only a few of her species who was still alive, despite the odds stacked against her.
There's one fewer Philippine eagle in the sky today, and Pamana's fans are left brokenhearted and calling for justice. "We can't let this happen again," the foundation tweeted on Wednesday.
Visit the Philippine Eagle Foundation online to find out what you can do to help stop the killing of these beautiful birds.
