Endangered Crested Ibis′ eggs hatched in the wild after 42 years

Endangered Crested Ibis' eggs hatched in the wild after 42 years: Heritage / 연합뉴스 / 2021-04-29 11:30:34

▲ This photo provided by the Changnyeong county shows the Crested ibis's babies hatching. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

▲ This photo shows the Crested ibis soaring through the sky with its powerful wings.

CHANGNYEONG, South Korea, April 29 (Yonhap) -- Crested ibises, a natural monument and an endangered bird, was born in the wild for the first time in 42 years after it went extinct in Korea.

The Changnyeong county located in Gyeongsangnam Province, which is currently working on a project to restore the Crested ibis, said the two eggs born by the taeogi have succeeded in hatching, and the cubs are growing safely in their parents' arms.

The young crested ibises are expected to leave the nest around June 10-12 before traveling around Upo Wetland.

The pair of crested ibises, who had the babies, were both born in 2016. The couple spawned three times last month, two of which bore fruit.

Changnyeong county is monitoring the cubs by installing a 24-hour CCTV in two places near the nest where the cubs breeding.

"The success of wild hatching is a big factor in natural hatching, including the selection of excellent individuals through genetic analysis, the creation of a wide range of habitats up to 16.2 hectares, and the well-preserved natural environment centered on Upo Wetlands," Changnyeong County Mayor Han Jung-woo said.

The crested ibises disappeared from the Korean Peninsula due to capture and habitat damage and were last seen in the Demilitarized Zone in 1979.

Then, the South Korean government carried out the proliferation and restoration project by establishing a "Upo Crested Ibis Restoration Center" by bringing in a total of four crested ibises from China through the Korea-China summit in 2008.

So far, a total of 432 crested ibises have been proliferated and 80 of them have been released into the wild since 2019, and The Ministry of Environment is planning to release another flock of 40 ibises on May 6th.

(END)