Hooded seal pups, born on Arctic ice floes, face threats from commercial hunting, climate change, and the rapid loss of their sea ice habitat.
Hooded seal pups are among the most vulnerable young animals on Earth - born on ice that may melt beneath them within weeks. Orphaned or ice-abandoned pups starve rapidly given their extreme early dependence on maternal fat. The loss of stable ice platforms disrupts the brief but critical nursing window that determines pup survival. Climate-driven habitat loss creates a welfare crisis affecting the entire population.