Liu Yinzeng, center, and British conservationist Terry Townshend talk to Xinhua's China Chat host Miao Xiaojuan. [Photo/Xinhua]

'Oriental gem' a jewel in nation's conservation crown

British conservationist Terry Townshend jumped at the chance to return to Yangxian county, Shaanxi province, dubbed the "hometown of the crested ibis".

He described his trip as a great honor, as not only did he get the chance to see these majestic birds once again, he was also able to visit a prominent figure whose name has become synonymous with this species, which is still endangered.

Sunday marked the 40th anniversary of the rediscovery of the crested ibis.

Townshend, who has a particular interest in birds, has lived and worked in China for more than 10 years.

Invited to make the trip by Xinhua News Agency's China Chat show, he met with 85-year-old veteran ornithologist Liu Yinzeng, widely known and respected for his rediscovery of the crested ibis 40 years ago.

A crested ibis flies in the sky. [Photo by Zhang Yueming/For China Daily]

"We hear a lot of negative stories about species being lost, so it's really important to hear positive stories and to know that species can be saved and brought back from the brink of extinction," Townshend said.

Believed to have existed for more than 60 million years, the crested ibis, known as "the Oriental gem", is one of the oldest avian species in the world and once flourished in China, the Korean Peninsula, Japan and Russia. In 1960, it was designated as an internationally protected bird.

However, the widespread use of pesticides and fertilizers, along with hunting and habitat loss due to deforestation, brought the birds to the brink of extinction.

The crested ibis was once thought to be extinct, but its population has undergone a miraculous revival thanks to decades of conservation efforts by researchers such as Liu and many local people who believe the bird is auspicious.

Long history

In Japan, Kin, the country's last crested ibis born in the wild, died in 2003. The female was estimated to be more than 36 years old.

The crested ibis, which is deeply rooted in Japanese history and culture, was first recorded in the Nihon Shoki, (Chronicles of Japan), a history of the nation compiled in the year 720.

When Japanese environmental journalist and scientist Ishi Hiroyuki lamented the death of Kin in an article in 2017, he also claimed that the bird's demise did not mean extinction of the species.

"The crested ibis was found to still exist in China. Researchers in China were successfully breeding other wild crested ibises that they had discovered earlier," Hiroyuki wrote.

Team leader

On May 23 and 30, 1981, Liu, the veteran ornithologist, led a small team that found seven crested ibises－two pairs of adults and three chicks－in Yangxian county. They were thought to be the last remaining crested ibises worldwide.

Before their exciting discovery, Liu and his colleagues at the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Institute of Zoology had painstakingly conducted field research for three years, trekking more than 50,000 kilometers across China in search of the birds. However, their quest was in vain.

"At the time, I had prepared my paper concluding that the crested ibis had become extinct," Liu said.

Before the survey team members made their final judgment on the extinction of crested ibises in China, Liu requested a field visit to Yangxian. His faith paid off, and his new paper, titled Recovery of Japanese Crested Ibis in Qinling Range, was published in 1981 in Current Zoology, then known as Acta Zoologica Sinica.

"It was an important decision to declare their extinction to the world. If I were to do this all over again, I would do the same," Liu said. "When it comes to scientific work, you must be rigorous. Nothing can slip through the cracks."

On catching sight of the long-beaked, red-faced birds, Liu had mixed feelings. He was gratified that the team's efforts had not been in vain, but at the same time, he felt no relief, instead worrying whether such a tiny population could survive.

The team members safeguarded the birds day and night, installing protective devices to deal with predators such as snakes.

A crested ibis flies in the sky. [Photo by Zhang Yueming/For China Daily]

Mutual company

Liu said the proximity of crested ibises to humans makes it possible for the birds and people to coexist. As a result, the protection of this particular species differs from others.

The locals love the birds, referring to them as "red cranes "instead of crested ibises, in the belief that the color red symbolizes prosperity.

To better protect the species, the authorities in Yangxian have banned hunting in the birds' habitats, the felling of trees where they nest, use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides in the birds' foraging areas, and guns being fired in their breeding areas.

In addition, protective nets have been installed on both sides of a section of track on the Xi'an-Chengdu High-speed Railway in Yangxian to prevent the birds being harmed by trains.

A few years ago, Hua Ying, president of the Yangxian County Bird Watching Association, transformed his front yard into a sanctuary for the crested ibises. He has been a volunteer since 1993, spreading knowledge in local schools on protecting the species.

Hua now runs a homestay for bird enthusiasts and photographers.

Every morning, visitors can watch crested ibises making their way through the paddy field in front of the homestay.

Hua said that as such birds are extremely sensitive to their environment, the villagers must ensure that organic farming methods are used to plant crops such as black rice, enabling locals to live in harmony with wildlife in the area.

Hua said, "In 2003, I proposed to forestry and wildlife protection authorities that the local government should help promote sales of our pollution-free products."

He also suggested the county develop its tourism industry and build facilities such as a viewing platform to minimize the impact of bird-watching enthusiasts on the crested ibises.

"Happily, all my ideas were adopted," Hua said.

Two crested ibis interact with each other on the branch. [Photo by Zhang Yueming/For China Daily]

Remarkable comeback

China took the rediscovery of the crested ibis seriously and started breeding the birds in captivity in 1991.

Years of unrelenting efforts have yielded promising results. It is estimated that there are now more than 7,000 crested ibises worldwide. In China, the birds' habitat has risen from less than 5 sq km in 1981 to 15,000 sq km today.

According to Liu, there are more than 3,000 crested ibises in Yangxian alone.

"A major challenge in the conservation of this species right now is inbreeding," he said.

Liu said inbreeding is a common problem for every species, but judging from the current situation, it has little impact on the crested ibis.

"But scientists still worry that inbreeding will lead to negative consequences such as a reduction in genetic diversity," Liu said.

The good news is that from the very beginning, Chinese scientists paid attention to the issue and started to breed the birds in different locations, trying to avoid inbreeding as much as possible.

"We breed crested ibises here in Yangxian, and in other places, starting with the Beijing Zoo," Liu said. "It's important that you do not put all your eggs into one basket."

In the 1990s, China donated five of the birds to help the species breed in Japan. In return, Japan has supported protection of the crested ibis' habitat in China through both governmental and non-governmental projects.

Japan artificially bred crested ibises from pairs brought to the country from China.

Liu said, "Properly balancing the relationship between species protection and human development is a subject for our long-term exploration in the future," adding that such work goes beyond the scope of biology and wildlife conservation.

"I have a special connection to the crested ibis and have decided to live with the bird for the rest of my life," said the retired avian expert, who returned to Yangxian three years ago, where he still lives.

A group photo taken in July, 2019, hangs on a wall in his living room. Liu sits in the center of the front row, holding a bouquet and celebrating his birthday with some 50 crested ibis researchers from around the country.