The two animals chosen as the mascots of the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games are stoats, a weasel-like animal that's at risk because of climate change. One of the pair is brown and the other is white — because in cold climates, the tiny animals' fur changes from brown to white for winter, to blend in with the landscape.
However, stoats are increasingly turning white before there is any snow on the ground, leaving them vulnerable to predators — their snow-white coats amid dirt and rocks is like a target on their backs for sharp-eyed raptors.
