The number of ibises, an endangered species of bird, has grown to
about 270 in northwest China's Shaanxi Province.
Yangxian County in Shaanxi is said to be the sole habitat of the
ibises in the world, the number of these birds has been increasing
rapidly in recent years, thanks to the great efforts China has made
to protect the rare bird, said a local ornithologist.
In
Yangxian, 66 ibises were born this year, half wild and half
artificially bred at the Ibis Breeding Center in the county.
This has brought the number of the endangered species to 270 from
merely seven in 1981, when it was first found in the county, the
expert said.
The origin of the bird has been traced back 60 million years, with
large flocks previously found in most of China, Japan, and Germany.
But now the species is found only in China.
(People’s Daily 11/05/2000)