HABITAT: Ringed seals depend on sea ice to give birth, nurse pups, and haul out to complete the annual molt of their fur. Sea ice and snow also afford protection from polar bear and Arctic fox ...

The Saimaa ringed seal gives birth in a cave-like nest that it builds inside a snow bank on top of the lake’s ice. This year, just like other recent years, there has not been enough snow for the seals ...

Ringed seals give birth in snow caves built on sea ice. Climate change is reducing Arctic snowpack, causing caves to collapse and leaving pups vulnerable to death by freezing or from predators. The ...