The Ili pika was rarely seen again for 20 years in China. (Photo : Li Weidong)
One of the world's extremely rarest and most adorable animals is now already on the brink of extinction, just thirty years after it was first discovered on a geographical field trip.
The Ili pika is a unique and rather cute creature that is similar to a mouse and a teddy bear which could also be the likely inspiration for Pokemon's Pikachu.
National Geographic says that this animal apparently lives in a remote valley located in the Tianshan Mountains in northwestern China.
To date, there are only 29 known live specimens that were ever observed according to scientists, where the last estimate of the Ili pika population in the 1990s were about 2,000 in numbers. Scientists now fear that the surviving creatures will only be half of that today.
The Ili pika was first spotted by conservationist Li Weidong in 1983 during studying the region's natural resources under the Chinese government. In 1985, it was classified as a new species and was even named after his home town.
When he later quit his job in the government in order to dedicate his life to study and implement conservation efforts for the little pika, he was heartbroken and said to CNN that he discovered the species and watched it become endangered and when it becomes extinct because of him, he will feel so guilty.
However, in 2008, the small creature was listed as endangered by the Interntional Union for Conservation of Nature. Unfortunately in China, there is still no existing official effort from the state government to preserve its dwindling numbers.
To date, Li is responsible for funding his research trips himself for conservation efforts of the tiny pika. He also receives occasional grants from World Wide Fund for Nature and other environemntal groups.
Li is urging the Chinese government to take over his work to help these creatures saying that he's almost 60 and soon won't be able to climb the Tianshan Mountains.
