Osaka celebrates efforts to save the crested ibis from extinction

An exhibition in Osaka, Japan on Wednesday, June 26, 2019, to commemorate the joint efforts made by China, South Korea, and Japan to preserve the crested ibis from extinction. [Photo by Tu Yun/China Plus]

An exhibition has been held in the Japanese city of Osaka to commemorate the joint efforts made by China, South Korea, and Japan to save the crested ibis from extinction.

A visitor examining the nest of a crested ibis at the exhibition in Osaka, Japan, on Wednesday, June 26, 2019. [Photo by Tu Yun/China Plus]

The exhibition also aims to promote the protection of the bird, which is designated as a national treasure in Japan.

A visitor feels how much a crested ibis weighs at the exhibition in Osaka, Japan, on Wednesday, June 26, 2019. [Photo by Tu Yun/China Plus]

The bird is a symbol of happiness, peace, and good luck in Northeast Asian cultures.

A visitor at the exhibition held in Osaka, Japan, on Wednesday, June 26, 2019. [Photo by Tu Yun/China Plus]

It was once common in Japan, China, Russia, and on the Korean Peninsula.

The exhibition in Osaka, Japan on Wednesday, June 26, 2019, that commemorates the joint efforts made by China, South Korea, and Japan to save the crested ibis from extinction. [Photo by Tu Yun/China Plus]

Their number dropped to single digits before scientists brought the species back from the brink of extinction through a breeding program. There are now more than 3,000 members of the species in the world today.