In June 2016, after Feng X and Hao X of Tongchuan City, Shaanxi Province, injured a crested ibis with a foot ring with a slingshot, they fled in fear of their sins. The crested ibises subsequently died due to ineffective rescue, and the two suspects were caught and sentenced to ten and eight years in prison, respectively.
The suspect who killed the crested ibis was tried
The crested ibis is a very beautiful bird that was once found throughout Northeast Asia. However, as of now, in addition to China, the crested ibises in Japan, North Korea, and Russia have all become extinct. China's crested ibises have gradually grown from 7 in 1981 to more than 4,000 now. Why is there so many crested ibises in China that other countries are completely extinct, even in Japan, which sees it as a symbol of imperial family?
Crested ibis
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" Data-track="5" > Who is the crested ibis? </h1>
The crested ibis (huán) is a bird endemic to Northeast Asia that was once widely distributed in China, Japan, and the Korean Peninsula. The crested ibises have a solemn and beautiful appearance and elegant posture, and play an important role in traditional culture. Ancient Chinese poets wrote a large number of poems praising the crested ibis, such as "Flying vermilion heron, come to the spring pond to perch green trees." ”
The Japanese imperial family and commoners also loved the crested ibis, and even named the Latin name of the crested ibis," "Nipponia Nippon," which means Japanese Japan. The crested ibis is a particularly beautiful bird with a bright red head. The whole body is covered with snow-white feathers, and some areas are embellished with orange-red color. The crested ibis is a large bird with a body length of 78–79 cm and a weight of 1.7–1.85 kg.
The crested ibises have a very extensive diet and will prey on small vertebrates and most of the invertebrates, especially fish and shrimp. However, the crested ibises are not birds of prey such as eagles and snake eagles, and do not prey on snakes, but will become targets for snake attacks. In order to protect the crested ibises in the nature reserve, the staff even tied a plastic sheet to the trunk of the crested ibis's perched tree at night to prevent snakes from climbing the tree to sneak up on the sleeping crested ibis.
Crested ibises that live in trees
Like most birds, crested ibises are well prepared before they can breed their offspring. Interestingly, crested ibises practice a "monogamous" system. Crested ibises have a habit of migrating to the warmer southern regions in winter to overwinter, and adult males and females leave the group on their way back to the north in the coming year. At this time, the crested ibis will use its own bird's beak to peck at the secretions in its neck and then apply it to the feathers. The substance is a black particle that can cover the orange-red part. This is a disguise for crested ibises because they protect their spawning mates as well as their unborn children.
The spawning period of the crested ibises is generally from March to May, and for safety they will build their nests on towering trees, so that few animals will come to steal their children. The trees that the crested ibises choose to nest are very exquisite, generally poplars, pines and chestnuts. The nest structure of the crested ibis is simple and practical: the outside is made of dead branches, and to protect the safety and warmth of the cubs, the inside is paved with soft moss and tender grass to form a "mattress".
Crested ibises nesting in trees
Crested ibises can produce 2-5 eggs at a time, with an average of 3 eggs. Its incubation period is very long, starting in April and incubating eggs for up to 28-30 days. Artificial reproduction is slightly faster, and it takes about 25 days. During this time, both male and female ibises will carefully watch over their children, and even when they leave the nest to go out to hunt, they will cover the nest with something.
The young hatch in May, when they are very weak, incapable of flying and preying. To protect their cubs, male and female ibises regularly fly back to their nests to feed their chicks. Because young birds cannot digest raw food, adult crested ibises will digest half of the food out of their mouths and feed them to the young birds.
Crested ibises fed to young birds
However, the young birds of the crested ibises do not know how to take care of their own kind, and the hungry young birds can do many things that are unimaginable to humans in order to eat more food. They will attack their siblings and even push their weakest young birds down from a height of several meters. Many small and frail individuals died as a result, but the mortality rate of crested ibises was successfully minimized with reasonable human intervention.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="13" > the global range of the crested</h1> ibis
The crested ibis is not a species endemic to China, it was actually widely distributed in Northeast Asia. In addition to China, the Siberian region of eastern Russia, the Korean Peninsula and the japanese island once had wild crested ibises, but they all died out due to human activities. Both the Russian (Soviet Union) and Korean crested ibises became extinct after the 1950s, with only Japan discovering the remaining five wild crested ibises in 1981.
Japan is the second most crested ibis besides China among the countries where crested ibises are distributed. How much do Japanese people like crested ibises? The symbol of their former direct ruler, the Japanese imperial family, was the crested ibis. Not only did The rulers of Japan like crested ibises, but the commoners also liked crested ibises. Some people even planned to make the crested ibises the national bird of Japan, but this limelight was robbed by the green pheasant.
Painting of the crested ibises of the Edo period
The Japanese naturally attached great importance to the five remaining crested ibises and sent them all to the zoo. Trying to protect the crested ibises through artificial supervision is a kind of harm to the crested ibises who love freedom. By 1995, only the crested ibises, named "Jin", had been left, and the other four had all been raised to death. The crested ibis, named "Kim," also died in a zoo on October 10, 2003, and Kim's death meant that the native Crested Ibises in Japan were completely extinct.
The native crested ibises are extinct, and the only way to restore the crested ibises is to "borrow" from China, which has done a very good job of protecting the crested ibises. The Japanese were very concerned about the crested ibis issue, and immediately after the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Japan, they put forward a proposal to China, which still had crested ibises, to jointly protect the crested ibises. What about the protection of China's crested ibis?
Japanese Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka visiting China
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="19" > China's protection of the crested ibis</h1>
Although the Number of Chinese Crested Ibises decreased dramatically after the 1950s due to human activity and deforestation, it was even assumed that they had disappeared. But in 1978, some ornithologists who still did not give up hope continued to search for traces of crested ibises, represented by Liu Yinzeng, a researcher at the Institute of Zoology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
In 1981, they finally found seven crested ibises in the mountain forest of Yaojiagou in Dadian Village, Baliguan Township, Shaanxi Province, four of which were adult crested ibises and three were juvenile crested ibises. Happily, the seven crested ibises are healthy individuals and fertile.
Liu Yinzeng in 1984 (middle)
In order to protect the seven remaining crested ibises, the biologists involved in the expedition did not approve of transporting the crested ibises to the zoo, intending to protect them in situ. Although biologists have to suffer as a result, they can better understand the biological habits of the crested ibis, laying a solid foundation for future conservation work.
Thanks to their tireless efforts, the original 7 ibises greatly expanded their population and increased steadily. With their help, China's crested ibis conservation efforts have become more and more professional, and more and more crested ibis protection bases have been settled in Shaanxi and Beijing since 1993. As of 2003, a total of 13 crested ibis nature reserves had been established. The Crested IbisEs Sanctuary has not only settled in Shaanxi and Beijing, but Also Zhejiang began stocking introduced crested ibises in the wild in Deqing County in 2008.
Crested ibis cubs born in a protected area
The number of crested ibises is restored, but it is necessary to prevent the idea of unscrupulous elements beating them. To this end, in 1989, the state recognized the crested ibis as a national first-class protected animal, and according to the provisions of the Criminal Law of the People's Republic of China:
Whoever illegally hunts or kills rare or endangered wild animals under key national protection, or illegally acquires, transports or sells rare or endangered wild animals under key national protection and their products, shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not more than five years or criminal detention and shall also be fined; If the circumstances are serious, he shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not less than five years but not more than ten years and shall also be fined; If the circumstances are particularly serious, he shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not less than 10 years and shall also be fined or have his property confiscated.
With the unremitting efforts of many staff, the number of crested ibises in our country has achieved gratifying growth. From the first 7, in 2020 reached a staggering 4,000, which is more than 700 cultivated abroad. At present, this number is still growing steadily. And china, while helping to restore its crested ibis population, has not forgotten to help other countries in need.
Japan is the country most in need of crested ibises, as early as 1981 China and Japan cooperated on projects to protect crested ibises, and in 1985 borrowed three crested ibises from China to breed with native crested ibises. Although breeding failed, China's responsible attitude and determination to protect wild animals were very touching to the Japanese personnel. After entering the 21st century, rare wild animals such as giant pandas will no longer be donated free of charge. However, China is still willing to help Japan restore the population of crested ibises, and in 2007 "lent" two crested ibises for breeding, and also recovered 13 crested ibises donated by the Japanese side.
A specimen of a crested ibis on display at a Japanese museum
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="28" > conclusion</h1>
Although the number of crested ibises in our country has recovered, it is still not taken lightly, because many animals are still in danger of extinction. In order to protect the cherished natural resources, but also to protect human beings themselves, please do not kill or eat any wild animals.