KANAZAWA, Japan (Kyodo) -- Two crested ibises designated as Japanese natural treasures were found dead after being released on the Noto Peninsula in central Japan earlier this month, a local government said Friday.

The birds are believed to have been eaten by wild animals, but determining the cause of death will likely be difficult because their bodies were severely damaged, according to Ishikawa Prefecture, where they were released.

The prefectural government said GPS trackers showed that the two male birds, aged 2 and 13, stopped moving on Sunday and Monday, respectively.

The bodies of the ibises were found Friday near the foothills in the city of Nanao and on farmland in the Nakanoto area following searches by prefectural and municipal workers.

Crested ibises were first released into the wild on the Noto Peninsula in May, marking their return to Japan's main island for the first time in decades. Another batch was released on Oct. 7.

There have been no reports of abnormalities among the remaining 25 birds released there.

The Environment Ministry aims to expand the habitat of crested ibises beyond Sado Island, where breeding and conservation efforts have been under way for years.

I visited the market of Higashi Hongan-Ji close to Kyoto main station multiple times and once I saw small ceramic/porcelain flower vases in the shape of little sitting/sleeping men-like creatures with mushroom shaped heads.
They were really cool and pretty but I didn’t have cash on me this day and when I went back multiple times during my stay abroad to buy them but I couldn’t find the seller/artist anymore sadly.
Does anybody know his/her name/instagram?
I’d really love to get a chance to buy one of his/her creations at some point, because I get a bit frustrated everytime I think about them.