The first 10 crested ibises from the Xiazhu Lake Crested Ibis Research Base in Deqing county, Huzhou, moved to Qianjiangyuan National Park in Kaihua County, Quzhou on Dec 20, according to local media reports.

They will be released back into the forest after a period of acclimatization.

The crested ibis, known as the "giant panda of birds", is one of 15 rare and endangered wild animal species to be released into the wild after wilderness training during China's 14th Five-Year Plan.

The birds to be released this time are all three to four years old, with an equal number of females and males.

"Qianjiangyuan has a healthy ecosystem and appropriate climate. This is an important step in the population restoration of the crested ibis in southern China," said Ding Changqing, a professor at Beijing Forestry University.

So far, 264 species of wild birds have been found in Qianjiangyuan National Park. Since 2018, environmental protection measures such as the prohibition of pesticides and fertilizers on farms within Qianjiangyuan National Park have created a suitable environment for various birds.