Native to a remote region of China, this tiny mammal, known as the Ili pika, doesn't know it's a member of an endangered species -- and neither do most people.
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| photo credit Li Weidong |
Rarer -- and some would argue cuter- than the panda, there are less than 1,000 of these teddy bear-like creatures living in the Tianshan mountain range in the Xinjiang region of northwestern China, says conservationist Li Weidong.
Li discovered the pika, formally known as Ochotona iliensis, in 1983 and named it after his hometown, Ili.
Last July, Li spotted and photographed the elusive creature for the first time since the early 1990s. He estimates its numbers have declined by almost 70% since its discovery.
Climate change is believed to be the culprit behind the Ili pika’s demise. As mountaintop glaciers melt, the animals have to climb to higher and higher elevations to find a permanently snowy habitat. Soon they may have nowhere else to go.
It is a solitary animal.
It is an endangered animal and yet it isn't included on China's List of Wildlife under Special State Protection.
Li discovered the pika, formally known as Ochotona iliensis, in 1983 and named it after his hometown, Ili.
Last July, Li spotted and photographed the elusive creature for the first time since the early 1990s. He estimates its numbers have declined by almost 70% since its discovery.
Climate change is believed to be the culprit behind the Ili pika’s demise. As mountaintop glaciers melt, the animals have to climb to higher and higher elevations to find a permanently snowy habitat. Soon they may have nowhere else to go.
Fast facts:
Ili pika is only 20 centimetres long.It is a solitary animal.
It is an endangered animal and yet it isn't included on China's List of Wildlife under Special State Protection.
