Recently, in Yining, NW #
China#'s #
Xinjiang# Uygur Autonomous Region, two teenagers came across an injured "desert Mickey Mouse" while out playing. It looked like a mouse but seemed unusual.
They took photos and searched online, confirming it was a long‑eared jerboa—a first‑class nationally protected animal in China.
Mindful of wildlife protection laws, the boys did not catch or touch it, and immediately called the police. Officers arrived at the scene, rescued the injured jerboa with proper care, and nursed it until it recovered. It was then released back into its natural Gobi habitat.