Incredibly rare -Chinese Pika facing extinction because people are trying to capture them as pets

With teddy bear ears, twitchy little nose and fluffy coat, it is easy to see why people have fallen in love with the incredibly rare Chinese ili pika.
A distant relative of the rabbit, the incredibly rare creature had gone unseen for more than two decades until it was captured on film in March this year.
But fame has come at a price for the adorable animal, with conservationist Li Weidong warning that it may go extinct in the near future because people are trying to catch them to keep as pets.



Mr Weidong, who discovered the species in 1983 and has been working virtually alone to study it ever since, believes there are as few as 1,000 left in the wild, making it rarer than the panda.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3121637/The-price-fame-Incredibly-rare-cute-Chinese-Pika-facing-extinction-people-trying-capture-pets.html