XI'AN: Twenty ibises that were bred in captivity were released into the wild yesterday in Ningshan County, Northwest China's Shaanxi Province, reflecting the progress that efforts to breed and protect the endangered species have made.

"If these birds can learn to live in their natural environment, then ibises can expect to bid farewell to their status as an endangered species," said Huang Zhixue, chief of the county's wild release training base.

Huang said the 20 birds were transferred from the artificial breeding centers in Yangxian and Zhouzhi counties to Ningshan in March for the last stage of adaptive training.

"These birds had been trained for one to three years in Yangxian and Zhouzhi counties, which greatly improved their flying and foraging abilities. The last bit of adaptive training here introduced them to the climate and surroundings here," Huang said.

As one of the world's most endangered species, ibises were once thought to have gone extinct. In 1981, seven ibises, considered the last of the species, were spotted in Yangxian County in southern Shaanxi, leading to the establishment of the Yangxian Ibis Breeding and Protection Center.

After 26 years of efforts to breed the birds in captivity, the ibis population has increased to about 1,000.

"In order to get ibises off the endangered list, artificially bred birds must be returned to their natural habitat. The area where they are released should be gradually expanded, and eventually they will start breeding in the wild," the expert said.

(China Daily 06/01/2007 page5)