Norwegian wildlife authorities were forced to euthanise a 600kg walrus, fondly named Freya, because of the potential harm it posed to people after crowds flocked to see the animal and coaxed it to the shore for selfies.
The UK’s “Daily Mail” reported last Wednesday that the “beloved sea mammal, Freya, became a local celebrity when she first came to Oslo, Norway, where she was filmed by adoring local fans chasing a duck and sleeping 20 hours a day”.
The sizeable walrus won the hearts of the public basking in the sun of the Oslo fjord, climbing into boats and getting close to tourists. Sometimes too close. And although walrus attacks on humans are extremely rare, they are more than capable of posing a danger due to their immense weight.
Norwegian Fisheries director Frank Bakke-Jensen said that “through on-site observations, it was made clear that the public has disregarded the current recommendation to keep a clear distance to the walrus”.
“Therefore, the directorate has concluded that the possibility for potential harm to people was high and animal welfare was not being maintained. We have considered all possible solutions carefully. We concluded that we could not ensure the animal’s welfare through any means available,” he said.
Bakke-Jensen said that although the authorities held great respect for the animal and its welfare, the safety of the public must take precedence. He said the animal was euthanised as humanely as possible.
Freya, named after the Norse goddess of beauty and love, began making headlines around the world towards the end of July when she was first spotted in the water off the Norwegian capital.
A private fund-raising campaign is under way in Norway to erect a statue of Freya.
The local citizens’ group behind the online drive said in its appeal: “The shooting of Freya has a strong negative signal effect that we in Norway, and especially Oslo, are not able to provide living space for wild animals, and by erecting a statue of the symbol Freya quickly became, we will always remind ourselves (and future generations) that we cannot or should not always kill and remove nature when it is in the way.”
As at Tuesday, the group had raised 156 409 kroner (about R270 000), according to the fund-raising website.
Walruses are a protected species, and as recently as last month officials said they hoped Freya would leave of her own accord and that euthanasia would be the last resort.
The head of Norway's directorate of fisheries said on Sunday that they considered moving the animal elsewhere, but concluded it was not a viable option.
Atlantic walruses normally live in the Arctic. It is unusual but not unheard of for them to travel into the North and Baltic Seas.
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