The Baltic ringed seal population in the Gulf of Finland has collapsed from 4,000 individuals to just 135 over the last four decades. This decline has pushed the species toward local extinction, driven by a combination of shifting climatic conditions and a lack of enforceable protections in critical migration zones. Survival for the ringed seal depends on stable ice and snow. Females rely on pressure ridges (hummocks) to create sheltered snow caves for giving birth and protecting their pups. When snow cover is insufficient, pups remain exposed on the surface, leaving them vulnerable to predators and the elements. The most fragile stage occurs one month after birth. Once the mother stops nursing, the pup must transition to independent hunting. During this window, pups often lose up to half their body weight, leaving them in a precarious physical state.