CRESTED IBIS

[Anchor Lead]

The crested ibis, a bird that hasn't been spotted in Korea since 1979, is back in the Korean skies after 40 years. This is the result of a ten-year restoration project. For our local news today, we ake you to kyungsangnamdo province where 40 crested ibises were released into the wild.

[Pkg]

Large birds with long black beaks, red faces and white feathers soar into the sky one after another. They are crested ibises, the Natural Monument No. 198 in Korea. The crested ibis was no stranger to Korea in the past, even appearing in the lyrics of a traditional children's song. But they have not been spotted in the nation since 1979. In 2008, Changnyeong-gun County in Gyeongsangnamdo Province brought in a pair of crested ibises from China. After a decade of restoration efforts, there are now about 360 birds. Forty of them have been released to the wild. The number 40 signifies that the bird has not been seen for 40 years.

[Soundbite] HAN JEONG-WOO(COUNTY MAYOR) : "We believe the birds will live healthily in Changnyeong's pristine environment."

The birds that have been released received special training over the past three months to help them acclimate to the natural environment. Every bird has a GPS device, and even an artificial habitat has been created near the area of their release. The whereabouts and movements of the 40 birds will be monitored around the clock. The restoration center predicts a 30-percent survival rate for the birds considering that it was the first release to wild as well as such factors as the weather and predators.

[Soundbite] KIM SEONG-JIN(UPO CRESTED IBIS RESTORATION CENTER) : "The avian flu outbreak was the most challenging time. I got very emotional as I was releasing them into the wild. I'm thrilled but also half-worried about their life in a natural environment."

Depending on the results of the first release, the remaining crested ibises will also be released to the wild in phases.