Norway’s famous walrus Freya euthanised because she was deemed a ‘threat to human safety’
- Freya, who liked to clamber on small boats, became a popular attraction in Norway in recent weeks
- Officials had warned people to refrain from getting close and posing for pictures with the 600kg walrus
A walrus nicknamed Freya that attracted crowds while basking in the Oslo fiord was euthanised on Sunday, with Norway officials saying it was the only option but experts slamming an “infinitely sad” decision.
“The decision to euthanise was taken on the basis of a global evaluation of the persistent threat to human security,” the head of Norway’s Fisheries Directorate Frank Bakke-Jensen said in a statement.
“We carefully examined all the possible solutions. We concluded that we could not guarantee the well-being of the animal by any of the means available,” he said.
Officials had previously said they were considering euthanasia because repeated appeals to the public to keep their distance from the young female weighing 600kg (1,300 pounds) had been in vain and that she was experiencing excessive stress.
Freya, whose name is a reference to the Norse goddess of beauty and love, had made headlines since July 17 when she was first spotted in the waters of the Norwegian capital.
Walruses normally live in the even more northerly latitudes of the Arctic.