▁thought ▁to ▁be ▁ext inct ▁in ▁China ▁too , ▁until ▁ 1 9 8 1 ▁when ▁only ▁seven ▁i b ises ▁were ▁seen ▁in ▁Sh a an xi , ▁China . ▁ ▁Ext ensive ▁capt ive ▁bre eding ▁programs ▁have ▁been ▁developed ▁by ▁Japan ▁and ▁China ▁to ▁con serve ▁the ▁species . ▁They ▁were ▁put ▁on ▁the ▁State ▁Prote ction ▁List ▁in ▁China . ▁Also , ▁for ▁the ▁past ▁ 2 3 ▁years , ▁China ▁has ▁b red ▁and ▁protected ▁the ▁species . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 2 , ▁there ▁were ▁a ▁total ▁of ▁ 1 3 0 ▁colon ies ▁in ▁China . ▁North west ▁Sh a an xi ▁province ' s ▁research ▁center ▁has ▁a ▁history ▁of ▁ 2 6 ▁cr ested ▁i bis ▁fled gl ings ▁including ▁artificial , ▁and ▁natural ▁inc ub ation . ▁On ▁July ▁ 3 1 , ▁ 2 0 0 2 , ▁five ▁out ▁of ▁seven ▁cr ested ▁i bis ▁ch icks ▁h atch ed ▁at ▁an ▁inc ub ation ▁center ▁in ▁north west ▁Sh a an xi ▁province . ▁This ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁latest ▁records ▁and ▁highest ▁record ▁ever ▁recorded ▁of ▁ch icks ▁that ▁h atch ed . ▁The ▁parents ▁of ▁the ▁ch icks ▁were ▁chosen ▁from ▁ 6 0 ▁i bis ▁pairs ▁raised ▁at ▁that ▁research ▁center . ▁ ▁Due ▁to ▁on going ▁habitat ▁loss , ▁small ▁population ▁size , ▁limited ▁range , ▁winter ▁star v ation ▁and ▁per sec ution ▁in ▁last ▁century ▁brought ▁this ▁end anger ed ▁species ▁to ▁the