Extremely Rare ‘Magic Rabbits’ Caught on Camera in Chinese Mountains for First Time in 20 Years

(Illustration - Shutterstock)

The ili pika, a tiny rabbit-like mammal first spotted back in 1983, eluded conservationists for over two decades before recently reappearing in the mountains of northwest China. Its reappearance revived an investigation into this adorable creature’s surviving population, and the numbers are worrying.

As of 2020, the ili pika, or “magic rabbit,” is rarer than the giant panda.

Known in the scientific community as Ochotona iliensis, the rabbit-like species was first discovered by Chinese conservationist Li Weidong in July 1983. As per China Daily, Li was engaged in fieldwork for the Xinjiang Province health and epidemic prevention authority; discovering a brand-new species was not on his expected agenda.

“I had been climbing a mountain for four hours,” Li told the BBC, “and was just catching my breath, when suddenly, I saw the shadow of a small creature running by.”

“I sat down next to some rocks,” he continued, “and suddenly two bunny ears emerged from the crack of one of the rocks. The little thing was staring at me, blinking at me. I thought it was the most beautiful and bizarre creature I'd ever seen.”

What differentiated this pika from other types was three distinctive brown stripes on its forehead. In 1986, the animal was officially recognized as a new species; Li named it the “ili pika,” after his hometown of Ili, and devoted the remainder of his career to its ongoing conservation.

As per National Geographic, the ili pika is native to the Tianshan Mountains of China’s Xinjiang Province, lives between altitudes of 2,800 and 4,000 meters, and is mainly herbivorous.

After another sighting in 1990, the curious species eluded Li for 24 years. But the devoted conservationist, now in his sixties and largely self-funded, returned to the region in July 2014 and managed to snap a series of high-definition photos of the 8-inch-long teddy-bear-like creature in its natural habitat.

©Shutterstock | Kirill Skorobogatko

The tiny mammal, covered in gray fur, was rediscovered sniffing around its home for potential intruders and digging into the mountain’s rocky surface for morsels of food. It was during this recent encounter that Li’s volunteer research team dubbed the adorable creature the “magic rabbit.”

As per the Daily Mail, Li’s team noted that between 1983 and 2014, the ili pika’s numbers had dropped significantly from an estimated 2,900 to under 1,000. The creature also only showed up in nine of its previously recorded 14 inhabited areas.

Li’s photographs went viral. But the conservationist feared that greater visibility of the ili pika may pose a threat to its continued existence and implored a philosophy of non-intervention.

Illustration - Shutterstock | Nicolas Primola

“The animal’s cuteness means many people want to go to its habitat and take photos of it,” he continued. “Some people have even asked me if they can be domesticated and bred as household pets. That’s the last thing it needs.”

Without protection and non-intervention, Li voiced concern that the ili pika could well become extinct.

As of 2020, the ili pika is classified as “endangered” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. For context, the giant panda, widely regarded as one of the most concerning species because of its diminishing numbers, has been declassified to “vulnerable.”

As per National Geographic, Li hopes to create specially designated conservation areas to help ensure the survival of the species.