The population of the ibis in China, one of the most endangered bird species in the world, has increased to some 400 from only seven in the 1970s, according to latest statistics.

Two hundred have been artificially hatched and raised in captivity, and another 200 are living in the wild, said Lei Yinghu, deputy director of the Shaanxi provincial nature reserve and wildlife protection station.

Ibises are distinguished by a red crest, gray plumage and hooked beak. Their origin has been traced back over 60 million years, with large flocks formerly existing in much of China, Japan and Germany.

However, the species is now found only in China, mostly in mountainous areas in Shaanxi Province in the Qinling Ranges.

After more than 20 years of research, an effective method of raising the rare species has been created by Shaanxi ibis protection and observation station.

In an ibis-breeding park in Yangxian County, 26 adult ibises hatched eggs last year, producing 35 surviving chicks.

(Xinhua News Agency February 22, 2003)