Harp seal pups are born with a fluffy white coat to both help hide them from predators and keep them warm until they can build up a layer of blubber and develop the darker, thicker pelt that protects them in icy Arctic waters.

The white fur only lasts until the pups are 2-3 weeks old, and it makes the little guys look as cute as can be - but seal hunters want it.

The killing of "whitecoats" for their fur was a big part of the Canadian seal hunt, but in response to public opinion, the European Economic Community banned the import of whitecoat products in 1983. This resulted in a drop in the number of seals killed.

The hunting of whitecoats has been banned in Canada since 1987, but it is still permitted for personal use. Nevertheless, in 1997 a conservation group reported that up to 20,000 whitecoats had been killed and illegally sold, and in Russia, sealers usually only kill whitecoats.