Fans of Finland's rare Baltic ringed seal species are now able to follow the furry creature's everyday life with the re-launch of WWF's live stream norppalive.
The camera is installed in the Archipelago Sea, on a rock that is known to be a popular basking spot for the species. Last year, WWF's Baltic Sea norppalive caught some 40 individual seals on camera.
Individuals are identified through the unique pattern of their fur. Similar to their distant relative, the Saimaa ringed seal, the Baltic ringed seal has a unique fur pattern, which remains the same throughout their lives. In that way, the fur pattern functions as a type of fingerprint, helping to distinguish one seal from another.
In addition to its entertainment value, the WWF says the information gathered by the broadcast can help optimise conservation efforts.
"Not all seals can be identified from the photos, but with the data, which is accumulated [during the broadcast], we can hopefully refine our population estimates for the Archipelago Sea region," Turku expert Jussi Laaksonlaita wrote in a WWF press release.
Conservationists estimate that the species' current population size is between 200 and 300 individuals.
For the past few years, the Finnish branch of the World Wildlife Fund has been setting up live camera streams to allow viewers to follow the day-to-day activities of different species.
The effort has successfully sparked a slow TV phenomenon in Finland, that aims to raise awareness about rare species and the threats they face.
Last spring's Baltic ringed seal broadcast garnered some 700,000 views, according to WWF.
Like the Saimaa ringed seal, the Baltic ringed seal is dependent on snow and ice, meaning that global warming is a serious threat to the survival of the species.
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