Huzhou City in east China's Zhejiang Province was recognized earlier this month as the International Cooperation Demonstration Zone of Ecological Civilization during the second phase of the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15) in Montreal, Canada.

This means that Huzhou, a lakeside city known for its rich cultural heritage and economic prosperity, has become an international model for systematic protection and utilization of biodiversity.

The protection of crested ibises is a highlight in the city's contribution to wildlife conservation.

The crested ibis, with its iconic red crest and long black beak, was in the past widely distributed across East Asia and Russia's Siberia.

It was thought to be extinct in China until seven wild birds were discovered in the mountains of northwest China's Shaanxi Province in 1981.

In 2008, 10 crested ibises were introduced to Deqing County in Huzhou. After more than a decade of breeding and protection, the number of crested ibises in the county rose to 669 in 2021.