She was a global icon but had to be put down because the public wouldn’t listen to the rules
A walrus who became a local celebrity in Norway was killed by wildlife authorities because people wouldn’t listen to their warnings to stay away.
Freya the walrus had been making headlines since July 17 when she was first spotted in the Oslo Fjord along Norway’s southeastern coastline.
She had also made unusual appearances in the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden and even the UK, having seemingly travelled over 1,200 miles from more northerly regions of the Arctic Ocean where Atlantic walruses would normally live.
The sea mammal, named after the Norse goddess of beauty and love, gained a huge fanbase, who loved watching her climb onto boats and bask her 600kg body in the hot sun.
Authorities continuously warned members of the public to stay away from Freya but onlookers continued to approach her to take photos. Norwegian newspaper website Nettavisen reported that, on one occasion, a child who was surfboarding slipped into the sea near the walrus and had to be saved by a speed boat.
After observing “several dangerous situations”, Norway’s fisheries deemed Freya a “threat to human security” and tragically put her down.
“We carefully examined all the possible solutions. We concluded that we could not guarantee the wellbeing of the animal by any of the means available,” the organisation’s director, Frank Bakke-Jensen, said in a statement on Sunday.
rest in peace Freya the walrus…you made me so happy when you sunbathed on people’s boats 😞 pic.twitter.com/Emu8tYHSYJ
— parky 🍉 (@parkinglotz) August 14, 2022
Officials had initially said that putting Freya down was “out of the question” but later said they would have no choice if the public continued to disobey guidelines.
On-site observations conducted by authorities finally concluded that “the public has disregarded the current recommendation to keep a clear distance to the walrus”.
“Therefore, the Directorate has concluded, the possibility for potential harm to people was high and animal welfare was not being maintained,” the statement added.
Plans to relocate Freya had been considered but authorities said “animal welfare concerns” and the “extensive complexity of such an operation” led the directorate to conclude this was not an option.
The Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries did not expand on how Freya was killed but said it had been done “during a controlled effort in the early hours of Sunday local Norwegian time” and was “conducted in a humane fashion” that complied “with current routines and regulations.”
Freya wasn’t the first walrus to take an unexpected trip to the UK in recent years. In 2021, Wally the walrus spent a six-week stint of the coast of Cornwall and travelled the British Isles. Recent sightings in Latvia, Denmark, Germany and Poland are believed to have been Wally too.
Hunting used to be the biggest threat to walruses, but according to the World Wildlife Fund, the biggest danger they face today is climate change.
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