Japan's main island gets 1st crested ibises in wild, 1st time in 56 yrs

Crested ibises, designated as natural treasures, were released into the wild in central Japan on Sunday, marking the first time in 56 years the country's main island has had these birds.The number of wild crested ibises had tumbled due to overhunting and other factors and the last one on the main island of Honshu was captured in 1970.Japan's native ibises went extinct in 2003 but breeding efforts using birds donated by China have helped the reintroduction of the species into the wild.On Sunday, eight birds were released in Hakui, Ishikawa Prefecture, as the Environment Ministry aims to expa…READ FULL ARTICLE