Ten crested ibises from northwest China's Shaanxi Province have arrived safely at their new home in a nature reserve in east China's Fujian.
The relocation marks the first time crested ibises have returned to Fujian since they disappeared from the province.
The birds are currently kept in a netted enclosure about 15 meters high, covering roughly 1,600 square meters.
Before being released back into the wild, the crested ibises will go through rewilding training.
Historically widespread in East Asia, the crested ibis nearly disappeared from the wild due to environmental changes and human activities. On May 23, 1981, Chinese scientists discovered the last seven wild crested ibises in Yangxian County of Shaanxi. Intensive conservation efforts were launched shortly after that.
Over the past 45 years, the crested ibis population has made a remarkable leap -- from the brink of extinction to slow growth, and now to accelerated recovery.
Today, the crested ibis can be found across both the Yangtze and Yellow River basins, ranging from inland areas to coastal zones. Yangxian County has provided over 300 birds as breeding stock to help rebuild populations across China, as well as in Japan and the Republic of Korea.
10 crested ibises arrive in Fujian for rewilding training before release
