Japan to Release Crested Ibises in Noto Region

   Tokyo, Feb. 14 (Jiji Press)--Japan's Environment Ministry on Friday announced plans to release crested ibises in the Noto region in the central prefecture of Ishikawa in June 2026, the first-ever release of the birds protected as a national treasure in the country's Honshu main island.
   The release is expected to support the reconstruction of the region from a major earthquake that struck in January last year, a ministry official said.
   The number of crested ibises decreased sharply in Japan due to excessive hunting and nature destruction, and the Japanese crested ibis became extinct in 2003.
   In 1999, China donated a pair of crested ibises to Japan that were released and bred in the wild on Sado Island in Niigata Prefecture, central Japan. Currently, in Japan, the species settles only on the island.
   The Noto region has many paddy fields and undeveloped forest land, home to frogs and insects that serve as food for crested ibises. Local municipalities have been active in hosting the birds.

(2025/02/14-18:42)

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