KANAZAWA, Japan - Nine crested ibises were released into the wild in central Japan on Wednesday, marking the second such event on the country's main island of Honshu as part of efforts to increase the population of the endangered species.
The release of the birds, designated as special natural treasures, in Nakanoto, Ishikawa Prefecture, came after 18 crested ibises were returned to the wild in Hakui in the same prefecture in May and June.
The project aims to expand the birds' habitat beyond Sado Island in nearby Niigata Prefecture, where breeding and conservation efforts have been underway for years.
After a makeshift cage was opened at around 11:30 a.m., the nine birds, aged 1 to 13 and born at facilities including those in Tokyo and in Niigata and Shimane prefectures on the Sea of Japan coast, flew out within about one and a half hours.
The release was jointly held by the Environment Ministry and a group consisting of the Ishikawa prefectural government, local municipalities and other related organizations.
"Working with local residents, we aim to create a town where crested ibises fly and people live in harmony with nature," Nakanoto Mayor Tameyuki Miyashita said at the commemorative ceremony.
Japan's native crested ibises became extinct in 2003 after their numbers dwindled due to overhunting and habitat deterioration caused by pesticide use.
Successful breeding using a pair donated by China led to the first release on Sado Island in 2008, and the wild population there has since grown to around 500. Another release is planned in Izumo in Shimane next year.
