A glossy ibis is seen at a wetland in Menglian county, southwest China's Yunnan province. (Photo/Chen Yonggang)

　　A group of glossy ibises, once thought to be extinct in China, have been spotted recently in Menglian county, southwest China's Yunnan province.

　　The 10 glossy ibises were observed by Chen Yonggang, a local shutterbug, who promptly notified the county’s forestry and grasslands bureau.

　　“Glossy ibises were seen in Menglian last year, but I didn’t take pictures of them since they flew somewhere else so soon. I never expected that I would see 10 glossy ibises this year,” the photographer said excitedly.

　　The glossy ibis, a close relative to the endangered crested ibis, is under first-class state protection in China. Experts once believed the birds had become extinct in the country until they were spotted again in 2009.

　　In recent years, the birds have been discovered in provinces including Yunnan, Guizhou, and Hubei thanks to improvements in the ecological environment.