Toki no Mori Park
The crested ibis (toki) is a large, white-plumed bird with a long, narrow beak that thrived throughout Japan until overhunting caused its presumed extinction in the Taisho era (1912–1926). The revival of the species began in the 1980s when a group of ibis found in China were brought over to Sado Island to begin protected breeding with the remaining native birds at a designated breeding facility. The first crested ibis bred on Sado was born in 1999, and in 2008, a flock of birds was released into the wild. Now there are more than 400 toki living peacefully on Sado.
Toki no Mori Park, located on the grounds of the crested ibis breeding facility, consists of an information center and observation windows where visitors can view the birds in their breeding cages from a safe distance. The Toki Materials Exhibition Hall showcases the history, biology, and breeding of the crested ibis. Through videos and hands-on exhibits, visitors can learn about how the toki returned to Japan and how researchers overcame various obstacles to initiate the breeding program, which takes place in the park.
The adjacent Toki Rapport Plaza is a sustained natural habitat where the crested ibis is trained for life outside the breeding facility. From the observation deck, visitors can view the crested ibis foraging, flying, and going about daily life. Since toki should not be approached when found in the wild, the observation decks are the closest one can get to the birds.