The Ili pika population has dropped by about 70 percent since its discovery, mostly caused by global warming. According to CNN, as the glaciers recede and the altitude of permanent snow in the Tianshan mountains rises, the Xinjiang region-native pikas are forced to seek homes further up the mountain peaks.
When Ili pikas were first spotted, they lived on the bare rocks at elevations between 3,200 to 3,400 meters. Now, pikas can be found in northwest China at elevations of 4,100 meters.
"They have nowhere else to retreat," conservationist Li Weidong told CNN.
"I discovered the species, and I watched as it became endangered," Li told CNN."If it becomes extinct in front of me, I'll feel so guilty."
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) listed the pika on the endangered list, but there is no official group that works to protect the 20-centimeter-long "magic rabbit," Li told CNN.
The Ili pika found in China is a solitary animal and not as vocal as other pika species, so Ili pikas are unable to alert each other if a predator is near.
"This tiny species could be extinct any time," Li told CNN. "They don't exist in the sites where they used to be anymore."
With personal funds and donations and grants from organizations like the World Wide Fund for Nature, Li retired in 2007 to dedicate his time to finding and protecting the pika. Li told CNN he has spent $32,000 of his own money in the last 30 years, but it isn't the money that matters.
The Ili pika isn't included on China's List of Wildlife under Special State Protection. It is afforded no special protection under the country's 1988 Wildlife Protection Law.
"I'm almost 60, and soon I won't be able to climb the Tianshan Mountains," Li told CNN. "So I really hope that an organization will have people study and protect the Ili Pika."
