101 saimaa ringed seal pups born this year, nearly all in artificial or human-built snowdrifts

This year’s breeding season for the critically endangered saimaa ringed seal saw 101 pups born, a slight decline from last year, according to a survey by the Finnish state forest enterprise Metsähallitus and conservation group WWF Finland.

Nearly 90 percent of the pups were born in snowdrifts compacted by volunteers or in artificial snow dens, up from 80 percent last year. Without human intervention, the survival rate would have been significantly lower, said Metsähallitus conservation specialist Riikka Alakoski.

Mild winter conditions—short-lived snow cover and early ice melt—forced conservationists to rely on snowmobiles for the annual den count, which was completed by late March. In the early 2000s, surveys typically ran until late April.

Twelve pups have died so far, a mortality rate consistent with warm winters, where roughly one in four pups perish before weaning. Climate change is worsening breeding conditions, reducing snow depth and shortening winters, Metsähallitus warned.

Volunteers constructed over 400 compacted snowdrifts and installed 47 artificial dens across Lake Saimaa. The highest pup counts were recorded in the Pihlajavesi and Haukivesi water systems, though unexpected births occurred in Orivesi and Joutenvesi, areas with historically low numbers. Survey accuracy declined in southern Lake Saimaa due to challenging ice conditions.