The Ili Pika may just be the cutest species on this planet, but in just a few years, there may be none of them left.

This species was first discovered in 1983, and they live in China. Sadly, these days, there are less than 1,000 Ili Pikas left. Li Weidong, who discovered the species in the Xinjiang region of northwestern China, estimates that the Ili Pika population has declined by 70 percent since 1983.

Though the Ili Pika has been on the endangered species list since 2008, there is still no conservation group protecting them.

The Ili Pika is nearly eight inches long and lives in high elevations, where the creature survives by eating grass. Li believes that the main reason for the decline in the Ili Pika population is the rising temperatures that have caused snow levels to get higher and higher. This has forced the Ili Pikas to move higher up into the mountains.

“I discovered the species, and I watched as it became endangered,” Li recently said. “If it becomes extinct in front of me, I’ll feel so guilty.”

Li has spent over $23,000 of his own money on paying for research of the Ili Pika.

“This tiny species could be extinct any time,” he said. “They don’t exist in the sites where they used to be anymore.”

Li is now trying to create a nature reserve for the Ili Pika, but he has had trouble getting anyone to help him in this endeavor.

“I’m almost 60, and soon I won’t be able to climb the Tianshan Mountains,” Li said. “So I really hope that an organization will have people study and protect the Ili Pika.”

Learn more about the Ili Pika in the video below, and SHARE this story so we can help to raise awareness about this!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbGoKJk-5Uo