Chinanews, Xi'an, July 3 – On May 31, China released 26 domesticated red ibises in Zhaigou Village, Shaanxi Province. Four of them were unable to adapt to the living conditions in the wild and were brought back to the bird raising center. In addition, scientists were unable to trace the living conditions of eight other red ibises. The rest 14 birds are now scattered in the forests or paddy fields in Zhaigou Village. Their preying capabilities have improved greatly, a person from the Ministry of Agriculture told this reporter.Red ibis is regarded as one the most endangered avian species in the world. It is listed in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). In China, red ibis is a species for state-level protection. China has set up four breeding bases for red ibises, where about 512 red ibises are raised. In addition, the number of red ibises living in the wild has also increased to 500. Experts say that at present, red ibis might not be the most endangered species any more. However, the bird is still on the verge of extinction.This is the first time that China released some domesticated red ibises to nature, which is also the first time in the world. It signifies that China’s protection work has entered into a new period, from mere domestication of the animal to releasing the animal to nature.By using wireless devices and TV monitoring system, scientists have traced the activities of the released birds. They have found that the birds have adapted to the natural conditions better than scientists thought. Most of the red ibises fly in the sky around the raising center during the day. From time to time, some birds might land at the brooks or paddy fields to look for something to eat. At night, they will perch on the pine trees in the mountains. These domesticated red ibises live only 100 kilometers away from a group of wild red ibises, which are considered as the only group of wild red ibises now existing in the world.