Ili pika - the magical rabbit

Lots of rabbit lovers choose this breed mainly by its appearance. The cuter, the better. But maybe they don’t know that a certain kind from the order of lagomorphs lives in nature, and hardly any domestic rabbit can match it in its cuteness. The same way as once chinchilla used to be, today, the Ili pika is almost an extinct species.

Ochotona iliensis, that is the Ili pika is not only probably the cutest rodent, but also one of the most endangered animals in the world. During the past 20 years, the number of individuals of this species declined rapidly (about 70%) and it was considered to be essentially extinct. Today, their population is estimated at less than one thousand and continues to decrease.

The Ili pika belongs to the order of Lagomorphs. It looks like a cousin of the rabbit with short rounded ears and bright-coloured fur. It was discovered in 1983, and due to its rarity, we know only very little about it. It grows to about 20 cm and feeds on plants that it leaves to dry for the winter. We know almost nothing about its way of life. Thanks to this, it is also sometimes nicknamed the “magic rabbit”.

In May 2014, the naturalist Li Weidong, the original discoverer of this species, managed to find the first Ili since its discovery in Northwest China and also one of the last living Ilis ever.

Since due to the global warming Ili is moving to increasingly higher mountain places of the Tian-Shan mountain range in the Xinjiang province. The glaciers are disappearing and the eternal snow remains only at increasingly greater heights. While formerly, the Ilis live at the altitude of around 3,000 m a. s. l., today we won’t find them lower than 4,100 m a. s. l. and they basically have nowhere further to go. This, together with air pollution, is the reason that they’re dying out.

Unlike the authorities, who are doing virtually nothing for their rescue, Li Weidong has been financing research from his own resources and he is trying to save the species. So far however, there are no known measures that would help save the Ili pika, so it’s possible, that they might become extinct only several decades after their discovery. That is even sooner than we even manage to get to know this species at all. We can only hope that the Weidong’s effort will not come in vain and in the end, the Ilis will survive.

Related articles

How to Help a Dog with Arthritis

Arthritis ranks among the most frequent diseases of the joints in dogs. It is accompanied by pain and limitations for physical activity. And because it cannot be cured I’ll give you some tips how to make the life of your buddy with arthritis easier.

Obesity in Cats

Nowadays even our pets are subject to diseases of civilization. Obesity is no good for them as well as for people. Do you know how to tell if your cat is obese and what are its causes and consequences?

Anaplasmosis – Hidden Threat

The season of ticks is back again and so it is the right time to start protecting our pets. These parasites also bring anaplasmosis except from borreliosis. And the fact that this disease is not generally know does not undermine its serious impacts on...

The Secrets of Cats’ Whiskers

The whiskers on cats’ face are probably too noticeable to ignore them. But do you know all the places where cat’s whiskers with sense of touch are? And do you know how this comprehensive tactile body functions?

How Assistance Dogs Help Children Read

As you might know, the assistance dogs help people with various physical or mental disabilities nowadays. But there is a program in the US and in other countries which helps children to improve their reading and communication skills.

Why to Use Grain-Free Dog Food?

We are all try to give our dog companions the best, from health care to the leisure activities. Nutrition is no exception to that and it is prone to modern trends similar to those of regular human food. Reducing or opting out the grain from the diet is...

How to Work It Out When Your Dog Has to Rest

Whether it has undergone castration or any other surgery, your dog needs to rest more after it. But this can sometimes seem almost impossible. To “force” your beloved pet to rest is not easy, indeed. A few tips how to handle this situation follow.

How to administer a pill to a cat

If you have one of the furry furring balls at home, maybe you know, in what kind of devil some of them are capable of turning into, if you need to give them a pill. If your cat belongs precisely among those, in which it’s almost a superhuman task, I...