Crested ibises released into wild on Japan's Honshu for first time

Crested ibises, designated as a special natural monument, have been released into the wild in the first event of its kind on Japan's main island of Honshu. A ceremony was held on Sunday in Hakui City in the earthquake-hit Noto region of Ishikawa Prefecture, with Crown Prince and Princess Akishino in attendance.

Ishikawa Governor Yamano Yukiyoshi said the release of the ibises is a symbol of the Noto region's reconstruction. He said that rather than making the release the end goal, his prefecture hopes to achieve the stability of the species by advancing coexistence with nature.