Original title: Crested Ibis Protection: Take multiple measures to develop the harmonious coexistence of humans and ibises

Xinhuanet, Xi'an, April 15 (Reporter Li Hua) From the 7 remaining ibises in 1981 to the present With more than 1,000 "Oriental Jewel" crested ibises, the number has increased significantly in just 30 years, achieving a leap from critically endangered to endangered, and their living conditions have been significantly improved. China has taken multiple measures to protect the crested ibis and achieved remarkable results, becoming a model for the world in saving endangered animals.

Establish a professional research institution to breed artificial crested ibis at a rapid rate

The crested ibis is one of the most endangered birds in the world, mainly distributed in China, Japan, Russia and North Korea. In the 1950s and 1960s, due to extensive use of pesticides and environmental degradation, the crested ibis population declined sharply. This species was once considered extinct in China.

In May 1981, Chinese experts discovered the only remaining 7 wild crested ibis populations in the world in Yangxian County, Shaanxi Province. They immediately launched rescue and protection measures, established a crested ibis protection observation station in Yangxian County, and set up a special nature reserve. In 2005, the Shaanxi Hanzhong Crested Ibis National Nature Reserve Management Bureau was established.

Ding Haihua, director of the Administration Bureau of the Crested Ibis National Nature Reserve in Hanzhong, Shaanxi, said: "Initially, the forestry department sent special personnel to guard the crested ibis's nest 24 hours a day. In order to prevent natural enemies such as snakes and weasels from climbing up the trees and invading the young birds, they usually gave The tree trunk where the crested ibis builds its nest is wrapped with plastic sheeting and smeared with butter.¡±

Since 1991, China has tried to protect the crested ibis through artificial breeding and has made breakthrough progress. So far, China has established 2 wild crested ibis populations and 6 artificial breeding bases; the population has also increased from 7 in 1981 to 1,617, of which 997 are in the wild and 620 are in captivity. Including the number of crested ibises bred in Japan and South Korea, there are now 1,814 crested ibises in the world, and the crested ibis has basically escaped the threat of extinction.

Government compensation for wild release to rebuild the population ensures sustainable development

According to crested ibis conservation experts in Shaanxi Province, the existing crested ibis population has a low breeding base and a single wild population. The serious inbreeding phenomenon makes the chicks die easily, and the resistance of young birds and sub-adults is weak. Once attacked by infectious diseases, it will cause great harm to the population.

Therefore, Shaanxi Hanzhong Crested Ibis Reserve released artificially bred crested ibis populations into the wild and allowed them to restore wild populations and their habitats in other places, with the purpose of reducing the risks of a single wild population. At the end of October last year, the Crested Ibis Release Base in Ningshan County, Shaanxi Province released 10 artificially bred crested ibises. Since 2004, when the State Forestry Administration organized research on the release of crested ibis into the wild, Shaanxi Province has successfully released 51 crested ibises.

An expert on crested ibis conservation in Shaanxi Province said that scientifically releasing artificially domesticated and bred crested ibises into the wild and rebuilding the wild population of crested ibises in this area is one of the effective ways to protect crested ibises. The reason for adopting natural release methods is , in order to reduce the disturbance to the Crested Ibis and enable it to adapt to life in the wild as soon as possible.

However, wild-released crested ibises are accustomed to foraging in swamps and rice fields, and often live next to humans, which has a certain impact on the production and life of residents in their habitats. Starting in 2008, the Chinese government began to try to compensate the people in the Crested Ibis Reserve for their losses, and has so far distributed more than 2 million yuan. In addition, in order to ensure the safety of crested ibises in foraging, pesticides and fertilizers are no longer used in the farmland of Hanzhong Crested Ibis Reserve in Shaanxi Province, and pollution-free agricultural production is implemented to ensure the safety and sustainable development of crested ibis wild populations.

Sino-Japanese cooperation promotes the harmonious development of breeders and crested ibises

The crested ibis is the messenger of Sino-Japanese friendship. In the 1980s, China and Japan began to cooperate to protect the crested ibis and solve the problem of inbreeding.

After China donated a pair of crested ibises to Japan in 1998, China provided three crested ibises to Japan twice in 2000 and 2007, and signed the "China-Japan Crested Ibis Protection Cooperation Plan". Active and effective crested ibis breeding cooperation has been carried out. The Japanese crested ibis population has increased. Currently, there are more than 30 wild crested ibises in Japan and about 160 crested ibises in captivity. The reporter learned that there are 106 crested ibises in the Sado Crested Ibis Conservation Center in Niigata Prefecture, Japan, all of which were donated by China or their offspring.

In December 2010, the "Regional Environmental Construction for Harmonious Coexistence of Humans and Crested Ibis" project jointly cooperated by China and Japan was launched in Xi'an. The project period is from 2010 to 2015. During this period, Japan promised to provide free funds of approximately 450 million yen (approximately 35 million yuan) to investigate and improve the natural and social environment of the project site. The implementation locations of this project are Hanzhong Crested Ibis National Nature Reserve in Shaanxi Province, Ningshan County in Shaanxi Province, and Dongzhai National Nature Reserve in Henan Province.

It is understood that in addition to providing crested ibis protection technology and crested ibis release activities, it also carries out environmental protection training projects for local people, especially farmers, and supports farmers to develop biogas and other projects to achieve improvement and improvement. Improve the living standards of local people, promote the development of the crested ibis population, and achieve the goal of harmonious coexistence between humans and crested ibises.

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