Monday 20 April 2015

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #508 Save the Ili Pikas

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #508 Save the Ili Pikas


The Ili pika was only discovered in 1983 in the Tianshan mountain range in China. Its population declined dramatically after its discovery and then it was not seen again for twenty years. Recently the Ili pikas have been spotted again, only to learn that their numbers have dropped to a critically endangered 1000. It is a very cute little animal, rabbit-like and very small at about 20 centimetres, it lives in the cold climate high in the mountains where it burrows in the crevices of the rocks. Global warming may be causing their demise as the snow line rises on the mountain range, altering their usual habitat. Sadly, I cannot find any website that supports the conservation of these little creatures. It would be sad if they became extinct. Maybe if more people know about them a group will emerge who take on the fight for this cute species.

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