Jennifer's Animal Facts: The ili pika

The ili pika is a small very cute animal that looks kinda like a rabbit. Living exclusively in south Asia, mostly in China, usually in mountainous areas. As cute as it’s rare, it’s estimated that there are only about 1,000 ili pikas in the whole world, a number that is down from the previous survey by around 900. Hard to find, the ili pika is not often seen, sometimes with a 20 year gap between sightings.

With short, bristly red fur, and with whiskers, a rabbit nose and short ears, the ili pika has become an icon for cute animals. Sadly, due to this, it has become a wanted item by many, and faces quite a few risks to it’s survival.

Discovered by researcher and conservationist Li Weidong in 1983, the ili Pika was named after the area in which it was found, the Ili Prefecture (on the west side of the Chinese Xinjiang province). The most recent sighting was in 2014, again by Mr. Weidong.

The ili pika is small, at about 20 centimeters in length, and at a weight of about 250 grams. A herbivore, the ili pika eats plants and is surprisingly big for it's species, the pikas.

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