The tremendous industrialization of the world since the early 20th century has put the crested ibis in danger of extinction. In the latter part of the 20th century, the species became progressively rarer in Russia, the Korean Peninsula and Japan. In the 1970s, it disappeared from almost all of its natural habitats.

CGTN's Yu Rong talks to Zhang Junfeng, a senior engineer at Qinling Giant Panda Research Center, who sheds light on the approach to crested ibis conservation.

"Shaanxi Province is presently home to over 7,700 ibises. In the 1981-1990 period, there were only about 10 ibises," Zhang said, "In the 1991-2000 period, the number crossed 100. In 2012, the number exceeded 1,000."

Zhang told CGTN that by 2020, the population of the crested ibis had reached over 4,400. Zhang and her colleagues track them through marking and satellite tracking devices. "We also supplement food during special seasons," she said.

"We also do ex-situ conservation in other places for their artificial breeding," said Zhang. She said that China has over 20 centers for artificial breeding and the crested ibises at these centers are learning some essential skills like foraging, breeding and courtship for the eventual release to the wild.

Cameramen: Bai Longfei and Hu Rui

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