Wild red ibis found in northwest China

BEIJING, China (UPI) -- A large habitat for wild red ibis -- one of the world`s most endangered birds -- has been discovered in northwest China.

About 100 red ibises have been seeking temporary resting places in the forest near the Caihe village of Huaishuguan since winter set in, said Zhai Tianqing, head of the Red Ibis Protection Center of Yangxian.

Zhai believes the village is the world`s largest habitat for the birds, Xinhua news service reported.

The number of red ibises in China has risen from seven in the early 1980s to about 800 today, including more than 400 wild red ibises, after the Chinese government ordered that they be protected, Xinhua said.

The birds disappeared rapidly starting in the 1950s due to poaching, pollution and the use of pesticide.

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