article_snippet: (CNN)Native to a remote region of China, this tiny mammal, known as the Ili pika, doesn't know it's a member of an endangered species --  and neither do most people.
article_snippet: Rarer -- and some would argue cuter-- than the panda, there are less than 1,000 of these teddy bear-like creatures living in the Tianshan mountain range in the Xinjiang region of northwestern China, says Li Weidong.
article_snippet: but there's no official organization or team dedicated studying or protecting it, according to Li Weidong.
article_snippet: It's also a solitary animal and is not as vocal as other pika species, so if predators are near, Ili pikas are not able to alert each other, Li Weidong said.
article_snippet: No studies were conducted on Ili pika in the following decade.
article_snippet: No one saw Ili pika, either.
article_snippet: However, by analyzing droppings and snow tracks, Li Weidong, along with Arizona State University biologist Andrew Smith, was able to conclude that the Ili pika population had seen a dramatic decline.
article_snippet: Together the Ili pika population calculated that there might be 2,000 mature animals, down from 2,900 in the early 1990s.
article_snippet: 20 volunteers concluded that there were fewer than 1,000 Ili pikas, said Li Weidong.
article_snippet: It's the lack of official recognition for the Ili, and other pikas' plight.
article_snippet: the Ili Pika isn't included on China's List of Wildlife under Special State Protection -- part of China's 1988 Wildlife Protection Law.
article_snippet: So I really hope that an organization will have people study and protect the Ili Pika.
highlights_snippet: There are less than 1000 Ili pikas in existence, says Li Weidong .
  