Time is running out for the 'magic rabbit'

Greater recognition of the Ili pika, an endangered species of mammal that only lives in the Tianshan Mountains in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, is further threatening the animal, according to Li Weidong who discovered the species.

In July 1983, when Li was conducting fieldwork for the local health and epidemic prevention authority, he noticed a small creature emerging from a gap between large rocks in the mountains in the Ili Kazak autonomous prefecture.

The 62-year-old, who was familiar with rodents, was unable to discover any records relating to it. In 1986, the animal was recognized as a new species, so Li decided to call it the "Ili Pika" and devote himself to its conservation.