In a heartwarming move for wildlife conservation, Japan has returned 16 locally born crested ibises to China on Thursday. This gesture honors a longstanding agreement between the two nations aimed at reducing the extinction risk of this beautiful species. 🕊️
This marks the first such transfer of the internationally protected birds in eight years. The ibises will now call Beijing Zoo their new home, where they will continue to thrive under careful supervision.
According to Japan's Environment Ministry, the group consists of nine females and seven males, all born at a conservation center on Sado Island in Niigata prefecture between 2016 and 2022.
Remarkably, Japan's native ibises became extinct in the wild in 2003. Since 1999, the country has been collaborating with China, utilizing birds donated by the Chinese mainland for an artificial breeding program. As part of this collaboration, Japan agreed to return half of the chicks born to China, fostering a mutual effort to save the species.
Japan has also been actively working on reintroducing ibises into the wild. Since 2008, thousands have been released on Sado Island, and as of late 2023, an estimated 532 crested ibises are living freely in the wild, with around 160 residing in facilities across Japan.
This successful return highlights the importance of international cooperation in conservation and offers hope for the continued recovery of the crested ibis population. 🌏✨
