Thursday, October 30, 2025

Polaris of Enlightenment

Endangered Arctic fox is on the rise in Finland

Published October 3, 2023 – By Editorial staff
Arctic foxes are making a comeback in Finland.

Two new Arctic fox dens have been discovered in Finnish Lapland, adding nine new pups to the critically endangered species. This brings the total number of Arctic fox pups born in Finland this summer to 25.

According to the wildlife management agency Metsähallitus, this is positive news for the critically endangered Arctic fox. One of the dens, located near the Enontekiö mountains, is in the same place where a fox den was found last year for the first time in 25 years. A total of 16 cubs were found in the two new dens, bringing the total for all this year's litters to 25 Arctic fox cubs.

– We had also observed these nests for a long time, but it was only a few days ago that the wildlife camera images we received revealed the cubs to us, says nature conservation expert Tuomo Ollila in a press release from the Finnish Wildlife Agency, according to Finnish state channel Yle.

Both WWF and Metsähallitus have been running feeding stations in the mountain areas to support the survival of Arctic fox cubs and also help the adults to stay in the region, even when natural food availability is low.

Petteri Tolvanen, Program Director of WWF's Finnish branch, says the new discovery confirms that the Arctic fox is making a comeback in Finland.

– However, conservation efforts must continue in order to build on this positive development, he says.

Facts: Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus)

The species is one of the oldest mammalian species on the Scandinavian peninsula, along with reindeer and arctic chamois. It is found in Siberia, Canada, Alaska and Greenland. In Scandinavia, it is mainly found in mountainous areas. It is critically endangered in Sweden and critically endangered in Finland.

Arctic foxes are monogamous and sometimes pups can stay with their parents for a year, and sometimes two Arctic fox families can live together in the same den.

The animals are largely scavengers and eat what they find. The color of their fur can be either white in winter and brown in summer or blue-black all year round.

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Fewer young people died from drugs in Finland

Published today 8:20 am – By Editorial staff
Last year, 197 men died as a result of drug use, compared to 50 women.

Significantly fewer young people died from drugs in Finland last year compared to the year before. At the same time, the number of drug-related deaths continues to increase in other age groups, where men still account for the majority of fatalities.

In Finland, the most common cause of drug-related deaths is the medication buprenorphine in combination with other drugs – something seen in both younger and older victims. Often it involves a mixture with, for example, benzodiazepines or alcohol. Amphetamine and the synthetic drug alpha-PVP are also not uncommon in fatal cases.

Primarily, it is men who die as a result of drugs, with 197 men dying from drug use last year compared to 50 women.

Last year, however, significantly fewer young people died than the year before in Finland. The largest decrease can be seen among men in the 20-24 age group, but also among the younger population, though what lies behind the decrease is unclear, says forensic chemist Pirkko Kriikku at the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL).

I cannot say with certainty why so many fewer young people died from drug poisoning in 2024, but it may be due to measures taken in municipalities and welfare regions to prevent deaths, she tells Finnish national broadcaster Yle and continues:

I hope, of course, that this positive development continues.

The number of drug-related deaths continues to increase in other age groups, however. Among other things, an increase could be seen, primarily among men, in the 40-44 and 45-49 age groups.

Income level found to influence garden biodiversity

Biodiversity

Published October 27, 2025 – By Editorial staff
Researchers see gardens as a potential tool for preserving biodiversity as global diversity declines.

Households with lower incomes tend to have more biodiversity in their gardens, according to a study from North Carolina State University in the United States. People with higher incomes prefer neatly mowed lawns instead.

In the study, published in HortScience, researchers examined attitudes toward biodiversity in the United States. They surveyed over 2,000 people and looked at whether they had any innate appreciation for biodiversity, something called biophilia.

The results showed that far from all people had an innate appreciation for biodiversity, and it varied greatly between individuals. However, it was not uncommon for it to develop early in life.

Biodiversity is declining globally and climate goals are often not met. Therefore, researchers have begun to see gardens as a tool for preserving plant and animal life. But to succeed, they must first understand who is willing to let their gardens grow wilder.

While a single person’s garden isn’t going to do much individually, as a collective they could be a big part of conserving biodiversity. The question then becomes; how do you get those people to change their gardens in that way? says Vanessa Woods, doctoral student at NC University, in a press release. To do that, you must first identify the people who are receptive to these more natural gardens with greater biodiversity.

Income plays a role

The most important factor for biophilia was income level, the researchers conclude. The higher the income, the less inclined people were to have more biodiversity in their garden, preferring neatly mowed lawns.

The lower the income level, the more positively disposed people were to a more wild-grown garden. Households with an income below $25,000 per year showed the greatest interest in biodiversity. Additionally, people who lived more environmentally friendly lifestyles were also more open to a garden that promotes biodiversity.

Melinda Knuth, lead researcher and associate professor at North Carolina State University, believes it is important to identify those who are attracted to biodiversity in order to bridge the gap between intention and conservation actions.

To do that, you first need to identify the people who will be receptive to those messier, more biodiverse types of gardens, she says.

Leopard seals sing lullabies

Published October 24, 2025 – By Editorial staff
Male leopard seals sing up to 13 hours per day during mating season to attract females

The mating calls, or songs, of leopard seals resemble human nursery rhymes and lullabies, new analyses show. Among other things, the song is reminiscent of "Baa, Baa, Black Sheep".

Leopard seals live in Antarctica where they mostly spend their time hunting penguins or relaxing on the floating sea ice. They can grow nearly four meters long and weigh between 300 and 500 kilograms. Males also have another repetitive occupation – and that is to find a female to mate with. To do this, the males "sing" when they are underwater. They do this every day from late October to early January.

Males can sing for up to 13 hours per day. Females also sing, but only for a few days a year when they are in heat.

It’s big business for them. They’re like the songbirds of the Southern Ocean. During the breeding season, if you drop a hydrophone into the water anywhere in the region, you’ll hear them singing, says Professor Tracey Rogers, from the University of New South Wales (UNSW), in a press release.

Now researchers have analyzed recordings of the male seals' songs to better understand their structure and patterns. There they discovered that the structure of leopard seal songs resembles nursery rhymes or lullabies.

"Baa, baa, black sheep"

In total, songs from 26 different males were studied and it was found that the sounds were very similar in pitch and length, but that the order and pattern in which the sounds were emitted varied considerably between individuals.

"We think this is a deliberate strategy. While leopard seals are solitary animals, the males need their call to carry clearly across vast stretches of icy ocean, to woo a mate", the researchers write in Science Direct.

The researchers compared the song with several different styles of human music and discovered that it consisted of five key notes. What also stood out were the similarities between the predictability of nursery rhymes and leopard seal calls. Nursery rhymes are characterized by being simple, repetitive and easy to remember, something that the seals' songs also were.

Among other things, they found similarities with the well-known rhymes "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star", "Baa, Baa, Black Sheep" and the classic "Rock-a-bye Baby". The simple melodies likely make it possible for the male leopard seal to continue singing his unique mating call for several days, which is important to avoid changes in pitch or frequency as this could create misunderstandings among other leopard seals.

It’s the order and pattern that matters. They’ve stylised it to an almost boring degree, which we think is a deliberate strategy, so their call carries a long distance across the ice, says Professor Tracey Rogers.

Finns live longer than ever before

Published October 20, 2025 – By Editorial staff
Women in Finland live longer than men everywhere, with the largest difference in Kainuu and the smallest in Central Ostrobothnia.

In 2024, life expectancy in Finland reached new record levels. Children born in Åland have the highest life expectancy in the entire country.

Finnish boys born today are expected to live to 79.6 years old, while girls are expected to reach 84.8 years. This is according to fresh statistics from Statistics Finland, the country's national statistical institute.

This represents an increase of 0.7 years for boys and 0.6 years for girls compared to the previous year.

In Åland, an autonomous Finnish archipelago in the Baltic Sea, life expectancy is the highest in all of Finland. During the period 2022–2024, life expectancy was 81.4 years for boys and 86.1 years for girls in the island region.

In Kymenlaakso, a region in southeastern Finland, life expectancy for boys was 77.2 years, while Lapland had the lowest figure for girls at 83.2 years. However, it's worth noting that in provinces with smaller populations, variations in life expectancy between years are greater than in larger provinces, says Joni Rantakari, senior actuary at Statistics Finland, in a press release.

Married people live longer

Women have higher life expectancy than men everywhere in the country. The difference is greatest in Kainuu, a region in central Finland, where women live more than six years longer, while the gap is smallest in Central Ostrobothnia at just under three and a half years.

Marital status also plays a significant role in life expectancy. Married men are expected to live eight years longer than unmarried men, while the corresponding difference for women is nearly six years.

These differences have been roughly the same for several years, with the exception of a temporary decrease in 2023, says Rantakari.

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