Meet the small mammal that is one of the world’s most endangered species

by Morgan Meaker

Only discovered in 1983, the population of the Ili Pika is thought to have declined by nearly 70 per cent.

An endangered tiny mammal only 20cm long has been spotted in China for the first time in 20 years. Since it was discovered in 1983, the Ili Pika population is thought to have declined by nearly 70 per cent. With only 1,000 left, the small mammal is now thought to be one of the world’s most endangered species. The species is a native to the remote Tianshan mountain range in the Xinjiang region of northwestern China. Discovered by conservationist Li Weidong, the creature was named after his home town of Ili and is not known to exist anywhere else. Mr Li spotted an Ili Pika for the first time in 1983 and did not know what it was. Two years later, he saw two more and it was declared a new species. Over the next 10 years, he monitored the Ili Pika with colleagues. However in 1992 he was offered a new job in at the Xinjiang Academy of Environmental Protection. He moved to the regional capital Urumqi but nobody continued his research while he was away. Mr Li returned to study the animal in seven times between 2002 and 2003. This research made it clear to him the species was in drastic decline. In 2005, assisted by a team of volunteers, he produced a census saying the animal should be listed as endangered. In 2007, he retired early so he could spend more time on his Ili Pika research. Mr Li told CNN: “I discovered the species, and I watched as it became endangered”. He believes there is no official studies on the Ili Pika even though in 2008, the animal was listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. However the creature has been excluded from China’s List of Wildlife under Special State Protection. This means there is a lack of funding to monitor the population. Although Mr Li receives occasional donations and grants, he mostly funds the research himself. He said he has spent over £20,000 of his own money on the project over the last 30 years. Mr Li believes global warming is the reason behind the decline in numbers of the Ili Pika population. Because glaciers have receded, Ili Pikas have been forced to live higher up the mountains. Disease could also be a factor. Mr Li, who is almost 60, is worried that soon he will not be able to monitor the Ili Pika population because he will be too old to climb the mountains. The volunteers have affectionately labelled the Ili Pika, a “magic rabbit” and the creature may have inspired the famous Pokemon character, Pikachu.