Japan 'returns' 10 crested ibises to China

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NIIGATA, Japan, Nov. 28 Kyodo -
Japan handed to China on Saturday 10 Japanese crested ibises that were born in
central Japan to three ibises that were provided earlier by China, Japanese
officials said.
The Japanese 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 were then put on a flight from Niigata to Shanghai, based on a memorandum
of understanding 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.
A ministry official who took part in the ceremony expressed hope to continue
deepening friendship between Japan and China through exchanges of Japanese
crested ibises.
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.
==Kyodo