A heartwarming milestone has been reached in the conservation of the critically endangered crested ibis in central China’s Hunan Province. A newly hatched chick at Mount Langshan, a World Natural Heritage site, signifies the successful establishment of a self-sustaining wild population of this rare bird species in the area, local authorities announced on Thursday.
After a week of careful monitoring, the chick has been observed actively feeding and appears to be in excellent health, according to the Langshan World Natural Heritage Administration.
In 2022, the administration introduced 24 crested ibises to Mount Langshan for rewilding and reintroduction. These birds had previously lived in a simulated ecological environment with artificial intervention. Since then, monitoring efforts have confirmed the successful natural breeding of 10 chicks in the wild.
“This recently hatched chick is part of the third batch of naturally bred crested ibises at Mount Langshan,” said Li Aiming, director of the administration. “It lays a crucial foundation for rebuilding the crested ibis population in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River.”
Local authorities have been tirelessly improving the ecological environment of the crested ibis’s natural habitat. “Over the past two years of monitoring, we’ve observed that the crested ibis population has successfully adapted to the ecosystem of Mount Langshan,” said Zhao Jiajian, a staff member with the administration.
Known as the “oriental gem,” crested ibises are first-class protected animals in China. Back in 1981, only seven wild individuals were discovered in northwest China’s Shaanxi Province. Thanks to over four decades of dedicated conservation efforts, the global population has now surpassed 10,000.
