By Li Qing

The elderly people of Yangxian County regard crested ibises as a symbol of good luck. Not only is the red color on their crests considered auspicious in Chinese culture， but they also， like cranes， are known because of their long lives as a symbol of longevity. The people of this county， located in Hanzhong， a city in Shaanxi Province， also found these birds， paired for life， loyal in love. If something happens to a crested ibis， its partner will choose to die alone rather than pairing again.

For over 60 million years， this species flourished across East Asia. However， widespread use of pesticides and fertilizers， as well as hunting and habitat loss， has led these elegant birds toward extinction. “The older generation says crested ibises werent that rare in the 1950s， but I very rarely saw them as a child，” 56-year-old Yangxian resident， Liu Yi told Beijing Review.

The crested ibis was believed to be extinct until their rediscovery in Yangxian， which renewed hopes for the species survival. Embraced by mountains and the Hanjiang River， Yangxians sheltered wetlands had provided the perfect natural haven for the crested ibis and， after a three-year search for a surviving wild population， Chinese scientists found seven birds living in the county in 1981.

“Crested ibises are picky about their environment，” Liu said. “In the place where they were found， near the Qinling Mountains， farmers still maintained traditional agricultural practices， leaving the air and water pristine.”

Liu first saw the rediscovered population in 1989， when he was serving as a civil servant in Yangxian. The encounter marked the beginning of a lifetime commitment to the species. “One day I found some birds flocking together on a hillside and making strange calls. I had never heard such a cacophony. The elderly residents told me they were crested ibises.”

One year later a survey of the ibises was conducted in the county and Liu volunteered to participate in a protection program launched by the county government. Some warned him about the tough work， full of boring routines day in and day out， but Liu was unperturbed. He joined a three-month program but， at its conclusion， chose to remain in his position. Today he serves as the director of the Breeding Department at the Crested Ibis Artificial Breeding Center in Hanzhong.

Liu said his 31-year career in the artificial breeding and protection of these rare birds has been the most rewarding part of his life. And thanks to the devoted conservation efforts of Liu and those like him， the number of crested ibises in the world has grown to more than 7，000 over the past 40 years. “I hope well see crested ibises fly freely again in all the places they once lived，” he said.

A miraculous comeback

When the protection program began in 1990， volunteers like Liu were tasked with following the birds every day. Conditions were so rough at the time that volunteers needed to follow the birds over large distances either on bicycles or on foot along the areas muddy roads and tracks.