DoomsdaysCW8 #CrestedIbises released in Japanese town decades after #extinction in #Japan
By MARI YAMAGUCHI, June 1, 2026
TOKYO (AP) — "Eight crested ibises were released into the wild in a north-central Japanese town, decades after the birds went extinct in the country.
"The endangered birds took off from each of their wooden cages at a ceremony Sunday in Hakui city in the Noto region, where they were last seen in the wild.
"Residents cheered when the birds soared into the sky the moment Crown Prince Akishino, his wife Kiko and other officials cut a ribbon around the cages.
"The eight birds have been raised at a conservation center on Sado Island in the neighboring prefecture of Niigata following a successful #CaptiveBreeding program. Ten more birds are waiting to be released.
"The white birds, called #Toki in Japan, are native to East Asia and admired for their orange-pink hues under their wings and bright red marks around their eyes.
"The birds went extinct on the #Honshu main island in the 1970s, threatened by #overhunting and #EnvironmentalDegradation. The last remaining Japanese native ibis died in 2003 on #SadoIsland.
"But the birds came back to life thanks to #China’s support for breeding. In 1999, artificial breeding by a pair donated from China successfully led to the first Japanese crested ibis chick born in captivity, according to the Environment Ministry."
Read more:
https://apnews.com/article/japan-crested-ibis-release-b45a911d3a735ca280686ce3c04f5bd4
#SolarPunkSunday #EndangeredSpecies #EndangeredBirds #SpeciesReintroduction #Birds #Ibis #InternationalCooperation
Crested ibis returns to Japanese town decades after extinction in Japan
Eight crested ibises have been released into the wild in a north-central Japanese town, decades after going extinct in the country. The endangered birds took off from their wooden cages Sunday during a ceremony in Hakui city. Residents cheered as the birds soared into the sky when Crown Prince Akishino and other officials cut a ribbon. The birds were raised at a conservation center on Sado Island following a successful captive-breeding program. They went extinct on the Honshu main island in the 1970s due to overhunting and environmental degradation. Ten more birds are waiting to be released.
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