The beloved Olympic mascots are color-changing critters that are vulnerable to climate change

By JENNIFER McDERMOTT and BRITTANY PETERSON

CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy (AP) — The pair of animals chosen as mascots of the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games are stoats — weasel-like creatures that are at risk because of climate change. One of them 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.

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