Freya, a 1,300-pound walrus who spent the summer lolling about on boats and basking on piers in Oslo fjord, delighting many locals, has been killed by Norwegian authorities, who say she was a threat to human safety.
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Norway’s fisheries directorate said the decision to euthanize the walrus in the early hours of Sunday local time came after the public ignored repeated warnings to keep their distance from Freya.
“I am firm that this was the right call. We have great regard for animal welfare, but human life and safety must take precedence,” the head of Norway’s fisheries directorate, Frank Bakke-Jensen, said in a statement.
The young female walrus — nicknamed after the Norse goddess of beauty and love — has been making a splash in the Norwegian capital since mid-July, apparently lapping up the attention in what some media reports described as her “hot girl summer.” Verdens Gang, a Norwegian tabloid, set up a 24-hour live camera to film her exploits.
The decision to euthanize Freya caused an immediate backlash on social media, with many people denouncing the decision as a national shame. Some raised questions about why authorities didn’t attempt to move the walrus to a safer area.
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Bakke-Jensen said moving the marine mammal was thoroughly considered with the help of experts at the Norwegian Institute of Marine Research. Authorities concluded that the complexity of the operation meant that “this was not a viable option,” he said.
He added that there were “several animal welfare concerns associated with a possible relocation.” He did not detail those concerns.
Transporting animals carries big risks. A beluga whale trapped in a river northwest of Paris died this month as rescuers were attempting to get the 13-foot mammal back to the coast, despite a huge operation that involved 80 people — divers, scientists, police and firefighters.
After realizing it was too weak to survive, authorities decided to euthanize the suffering animal, they said. It was not clear how the whale, which weighed more than 1,700 pounds, had strayed so far from the Arctic waters that make up its natural habitat.
Beluga whale dies after French rescuers lift 13-foot mammal from Seine
Freya had also been sighted along the coasts of several European countries in recent months, including Britain, Denmark and the Netherlands. (The young walrus once hitched a lift on a Dutch submarine. Appropriately, it belonged to the Walrus class of vessels.)
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Norway’s fisheries directorate said the decision to euthanize the walrus in the early hours of Sunday local time came after the public ignored repeated warnings to keep their distance from Freya.
“I am firm that this was the right call. We have great regard for animal welfare, but human life and safety must take precedence,” the head of Norway’s fisheries directorate, Frank Bakke-Jensen, said in a statement.
The young female walrus — nicknamed after the Norse goddess of beauty and love — has been making a splash in the Norwegian capital since mid-July, apparently lapping up the attention in what some media reports described as her “hot girl summer.” Verdens Gang, a Norwegian tabloid, set up a 24-hour live camera to film her exploits.
The decision to euthanize Freya caused an immediate backlash on social media, with many people denouncing the decision as a national shame. Some raised questions about why authorities didn’t attempt to move the walrus to a safer area.
‘Cheeky’ sea lions are returning to New Zealand’s shores — and locals are learning to share the coast
Bakke-Jensen said moving the marine mammal was thoroughly considered with the help of experts at the Norwegian Institute of Marine Research. Authorities concluded that the complexity of the operation meant that “this was not a viable option,” he said.
He added that there were “several animal welfare concerns associated with a possible relocation.” He did not detail those concerns.
Transporting animals carries big risks. A beluga whale trapped in a river northwest of Paris died this month as rescuers were attempting to get the 13-foot mammal back to the coast, despite a huge operation that involved 80 people — divers, scientists, police and firefighters.
After realizing it was too weak to survive, authorities decided to euthanize the suffering animal, they said. It was not clear how the whale, which weighed more than 1,700 pounds, had strayed so far from the Arctic waters that make up its natural habitat.
Beluga whale dies after French rescuers lift 13-foot mammal from Seine
Freya had also been sighted along the coasts of several European countries in recent months, including Britain, Denmark and the Netherlands. (The young walrus once hitched a lift on a Dutch submarine. Appropriately, it belonged to the Walrus class of vessels.)
