Niigata (Japan): Japan will today send 10
exotic birds, which were born off from the ones presented by
China, to their homeland under a bilateral arrangement
between the two countries, officials said here.
The Environment Ministry transported the 10 birds -- five
males and five females born at the Sado Japanese Crested Ibis
Conservation Center in Niigata Prefecture from last year --
from Sado Island to Niigata airport where a handover ceremony
was held.
They will be flown to Shanghai in the afternoon based on
a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Tokyo and Beijing
that about half of the chicks born to the three ibises from
China will be returned to the country, according to the
officials.
The 10 were born to the three ibises -- a female
presented to Japan by China in 2000 and a male and another
female in 2007 -- and their Japanese-bred mates.
This is the fourth time for such delivery under the
bilateral arrangement and leaves Japan with 124 Japanese
crested ibises.
PTI
