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| Two crested ibises, a bird species once functionally extinct in Korea, have hatched in the wild in Changnyeong, South Gyeongsang Province, after a pair of the birds were released two years ago there, according to county officials, Thursday. It is the first confirmed case of a natural hatching in 42 years since the species disappeared here. Yonhap |
By Lee Hyo-jin
Two crested ibises, a bird species once functionally extinct in Korea, have hatched in Changnyeong, South Gyeongsang Province, Thursday, according to county officials. It is the first confirmed case of the bird being born naturally here in 42 years since the species disappeared.
Three eggs were laid by a pair of crested ibises born at a state-run captive breeding facility in 2016 and released into the wild in 2019, and two of them have successfully hatched.
One chick hatched around 10:12 a.m., Monday, followed by another which hatched around 5:30 a.m., Wednesday, according to county officials. The officials said the two chicks are being taken care of by their parents.
The chicks are expected to leave the nest around June 10, after which officials will continue monitoring them.
The crested ibis, designated as the nation's Natural Monument No.198, is a second-level endangered animal in Korea. It was declared functionally extinct in the wild here in 1979, last being spotted in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).
Since 2008, the Ministry of Environment and local governments have been trying to reintroduce the species to the wild, beginning with a pair of Chinese-born ibises donated by Chinese President Xi Jinping during his visit to Korea.
The government launched a crested ibis restoration center in Changnyeong. So far, a total of 432 crested ibises have been propagated through captive breeding, and 80 of them were released into the wild in the region's Upo Wetland in 2019. The environment ministry plans to release 40 more ibises on May 6.
