Saimaa+ringed+seal

Saimaa ringed seal is one of the most endangered seals in the world. They exist only in Lake Saimaa, hence the name, which is in Finland. It is a subspecies of ringed seal and it was seperated from the rest of the population after the last ice age. There are only about 260 of them left on the planet which ain't too much.

Appereance

An adult Saimaa ringed seal is about 85 to 160 centimeters long and it can as heavy as 90 kilograms. Males are larger than females which ain't too suprising. They are coloured dark grey and they have white rings which can be used to identify them kind of like us humans have finger prints. Compared to other ringed seals Saimaa ringed seal is a fair bit darker.

Reproduction Saimaa ringed seals mature at the age of 3-7. They are pregnant for 11 months which after they give birth to pups that are between 55 and 65 centimeters in lenght and 4 to 5 kilograms in weight. Should the pups survive till maturity they're expected to live for about 20 years. The current population being as small at it is there are only about 30 to 60 pups born every year. The bad thing about so few pups being born is that so few of them reach adulthood. To be more precise only ab out 50% of the pups reach adulthood.

Otso Haikonen

Threats and protecting
Saimaa ringed seals have been protected since 1955, mainly due to WWF. However the Saimaa ringed seal is still in danger to become extinct. A remarkable threat is the distraction while nesting because in worst case the disturbance can even lead to the death of the seal pups. The increasing population of peoples in the near of their habitat decreases the number of available roosts for the Saimaa ringed seals. Also the drowning in the fishing nets is a big problem. The global warming has become a new threat for the Saimaa ringed seals future. Renewing warm and snowless winters can be destructive. Snow and ice are necessary for the survival of the seal pups because the mother gives birth in their nest built from snow. The snow also protects the seal pups from other animals and coldness. Hunting and environmental chemicals are also noteworthy threats.

WWF tries to help the situation by taking into consideration the nest areas when building new summer cottages, protecting ringed seals from drowning, doing essential researches, protecting the habitat, defending against global warming and by informing people about the importance of protecting Saimaa ringed seals.

Tuomo Vähäkallio