On one island off the Western Antarctic Peninsula, leopard seals eat as many as 70% of Antarctic fur seal pups each year, severely impacting their declining population, researchers said.

On one island off the Western Antarctic Peninsula, leopard seals eat as many as 70% of Antarctic fur seal pups each year, severely impacting their declining population, researchers said.

On one island off the Western Antarctic Peninsula, leopard seals eat as many as 70% of Antarctic fur seal pups each year, severely impacting their declining population, researchers said.

Each seal pup has a distinct call, and mothers can tell the difference. Female harbor seals were tested in playback experiments and responded more strongly to the calls of their own pups.

On one island off the Western Antarctic Peninsula, leopard seals eat as many as 70% of Antarctic fur seal pups each year, severely impacting their declining population, researchers said.

On one island off the Western Antarctic Peninsula, leopard seals eat as many as 70% of Antarctic fur seal pups each year, severely impacting their declining population, researchers said.

On one island off the Western Antarctic Peninsula, leopard seals eat as many as 70% of Antarctic fur seal pups each year, severely impacting their declining population, researchers said.

On one island off the Western Antarctic Peninsula, leopard seals eat as many as 70% of Antarctic fur seal pups each year, severely impacting their declining population, researchers said.

On one island off the Western Antarctic Peninsula, leopard seals eat as many as 70% of Antarctic fur seal pups each year, severely impacting their declining population, researchers said.