See The Cute Rare "Magic Rabbit" Spotted for the First Time in Two Decades

This breed of rabbit researchers say is rare and not common and that is while they call it the "Magic Rabbit". It really a cute breed of rabbit.

According to report from mymodernmet.com, they call it Ili pika (Ochotona iliensis), which they say its an extremely elusive, cuddly creature that is rarely seen by human eyes. Native to a remote region of China, the adorable mammal has been spotted only a handful of times in the Tianshan Mountains of the northwestern province of Xinjiang. Nicknamed the "magic rabbit" by the volunteers who study it, the teddy bear-like animal measures about 20 centimeters long, and is a distant relative of the rabbit.

Ili pikas were discovered and named by Li Weidong, a conservationist who first came across the unknown species in 1983 while on government assignment near Jilimalale Mountain. Over the next decade, Li and his colleagues conducted a number of studies in the mountains, discovering that the furry critters live on bare rock faces and feed on grasses, herbs, and other plants at high elevations. In 1992, however, Li left to work with the Xinjiang Academy of Environmental Protection, and no one saw the Ili pika for another 20 years.

Last year, however, the retired Li led a team of volunteers to search for the creature once more. They finally spotted a curious Ili pika, who jumped and stepped over Li's feet as he was trying to photograph it. After extensive research that he funded himself, Li concluded that the population of Ili pikas has decreased by 70%, with less than 1,000 remaining today. Grazing pressure from livestock, air pollution, and global warming have likely forced Ili pikas to retreat to higher elevations, but there is little room left for them to go.

Li Weidong, the man who discovered and photographed the Ili pika