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 | Wednesday, April 26, 2000, updated at 09:39(GMT+8) | ||||||||||||
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First Ibis Show To Be Held in NW Chinese CityThe first crested ibis show in China will be held in Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, during the week-long May 1 holiday period.About five or six ibises are expected to meet visitors. A photo exhibition and video show on the habits and characteristics of the bird will be held during the event. "The aim of the show is to give local residents a better understanding of this rare species and enhance their awareness of protecting wildlife," said Chang Xiuyun, secretary-general of the Shaanxi Provincial Wildlife Protection Association. The crested ibis population has grown from merely seven in 1981, when it was first found in China, to the present 200 as a result of environmental protection measures adopted by the local government, including a ban on fertilizers and lumbering in areas close to the species' natural habitat. Trees have been planted on 46,700 ha, with the forest coverage climbing from 40 percent to 60 percent over the past 18 years. The closing of polluting factories has also improved environmental conditions for the species, which is distinguished by its red crest, gray plumage and hooked beak. The origin of the endangered species has been traced back over 60 million years, with large flocks formerly existing in most of China, Japan and Germany. But now the species is found only in China.
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