GS 3 : Environment- Conservation

Why in News?

An endangered bird was reintroduced to the wild by South Korean authorities on Wednesday, four decades after it went extinct on the peninsula.

Crested ibises:

• The crested ibis was last seen in the wild in 1979 in the Demilitarized Zone dividing the Korean peninsula.
• Its head is partially bare, showing red skin, and it has a dense crest of white plumes on the nape
• Threats : China and Japan are also part of the species’ natural range, but the species was driven to the edge of extinction — partially because pesticide use eliminated its food sources — until captive breeding programmes were set up.
• IUCN Status – Endangered