The Adorable Pika May Be Cute, But They Are In Danger!
You may not have heard of these adorable animals. It’s all right, until we were about to write this article, we didn’t know about them either.
The Pika lives in mountainous regions of the United States. As you can tell from photos of them in this article, they are insanely adorable. Sadly, their population is diminishing due to global warming. To make matters even worse, these cute little guys do not do anything bad! All they are known to do is eat wildflowers, grass and prance around on the mountainside.
Not to be mistaken for a pikachu, pikas are an extremely cute relative of rabbits! #DestinationWild 9/8c pic.twitter.com/FXLNfnf3Rh
— Nat Geo WILD (@natgeowild) September 11, 2016
According to a report published by PLOS One, the animal has disappeared from their natural habitat in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Due to their small legs and arms, they are normally found on the ground around the mountain. The lower areas of the mountain ranges have become increasingly hot. The weather change have confused the small pikas, causing them to want to climb up the mountain. However, they sadly meet their demise the higher they go up the mountain. As reported by Gizmodo, “the high points on the mountain become too hot for the pika, so they become overheated and die.” Quite sad, we know!
#Wildlife Fact: Pikas don't hibernate, so they stock up on plants during the summer to make it through the cold winter months. pic.twitter.com/VcKTCVR0cv
— Canadian Wildlife Federation (@CWF_FCF) August 5, 2017
This is not the only area where the pikas can be found. Researchers did note that they have been seen around Lake Tahoe, however, they have been seen significantly less.
Why have I never heard of pikas before pic.twitter.com/4Y9LJoQzR7
— Garance Franke-Ruta (@thegarance) August 26, 2016
So, what can we do to help this small population? The Center for Biological Diversity are calling for the government to help take a stand for the animal. In the past, the government has denied protection against the cute animal. If you have the time, make sure to call your local representative and encourage them to help out this adorable animal.
We must all do our part to speak for animals who don’t speak English!
Sarah is a Hufflepuff living in NYC. When she is not traveling or talking to random animals, she is working as a script writer. Tweet her at @lumpyspacederp
