TOKYO, Nov 26 (NNN-NHK) – Female crested ibis, Yang Yang, gifted by China has died in the Japanese prefecture of Niigata, the Japanese environment ministry said.
Yang Yang, housed at the Sado Japanese Crested Ibis Conservation Centre, died on Thursday, the Niigata prefectural government cited a statement released by the Ministry of Environment.
She died at the age of 27, equivalent to over 80 years old for humans.
The crested ibis, which originated from north-west China’s Shaanxi province, had previously injured her leg due to being startled by thunder, leading to difficulties in standing and eating.
The statement suggested that, the bird died due to physical weakness on Friday, although veterinarians provided treatment and fed her earlier during the week.
Yang Yang played a crucial role in the reintroduction of crested ibises into the wild in Japan, the Niigata prefectural government said on its website.
In future, the prefecture, in collaboration with the Japanese environment ministry and the Sado Japanese Crested Ibis Conservation Centre, will continue to work towards the wild reintroduction of crested ibises, it added.
In Jan, 1999, Yang Yang and You You, the first pair of crested ibises gifted by China to Japan, arrived at Sado island, off Niigata. Over the years, they played a significant role in saving and reestablishing the endangered crested ibis population in Japan.
As per Niigata’s prefectural environment bureau, there are currently 550 wild crested ibises in the prefecture. In 2019, Japan lowered the status of the birds from “extinction in the wild” to “critically endangered.”– NNN-NHK
