Even so, there are no concerted efforts under way to help the Ili pika. Li said he hopes to change that, and use the rediscovery of the animal to create conservation areas for the species.

Meet the Ili pika (Ochotona iliensis), a rare animal that has made its home in the Tian Shan mountains of northwestern China. But this impossibly endearing "magic rabbit" (so-dubbed by ...

In the 1980s, it was Li who discovered and named the Ili pika. Since then, the former public health expert has turned his career focus to wildlife protection. As he himself has put it, he "has ...

Meet the Ili pika (Ochotona iliensis), a rare animal that has made its home in the Tian Shan mountains of northwestern China. But this impossibly endearing "magic rabbit" (so-dubbed by ...