Norwegian authorities killed Freya, a 1,300 pound walrus who rose to fame this summer season while sinking boats, they introduced on Sunday, claiming she was euthanized due to public security considerations brought on by the crowds she attracted.
“The decision to euthanize the walrus was made based on an overall assessment of the continued threat to human safety,” the Directorate of Fisheries Frank Bakke-Jensen said in a statement.
“Highly skilled and trained personnel executed the order in conduct with current routines and regulations for euthanasia for marine mammals,” Bakke-Jensen added.
The walrus — whose identify refers to the Norse goddess of fertility and love — rose to fame over the previous few months as she traveled the nation’s shoreline, damaging boats and ships after climbing aboard to relaxation for days or even weeks at a time. But she has been noticed as early as 2019, in accordance to Rune Aae, a doctoral scholar in science didactics on the University of South-Eastern Norway who has mapped Freya’s journey by photographs snapped by scientists and newbie photographers, who shared the pictures on social media and on-line databases.
On Sunday, Aae criticized officers’ resolution to kill Freya in a Facebook post, calling the transfer “too hasty” and “completely unnecessary.” He famous that there was sufficient monitoring of Freya to guarantee the general public may keep away from her and that there could be much less onlookers with the summer season holidays ending quickly.
Norwegian media retailers chronicled Freya’s travels this summer season, and Norwegians flocked to the Oslo coast in latest weeks to watch her eat, sleep and relaxation. Adding to the attraction was the truth that walruses sometimes dwell in herds within the Arctic, making her solo presence off the capital’s shores — roughly 1,200 miles from the place scientists imagine she was from — all of the extra surprising.
Experts mentioned she was attracted to the boats as a result of they reminded her of Arctic ice floes, and suggested boat house owners to keep away from her and park their vessels so they’d be more durable for Freya to entry.
More walruses are searching on land as local weather change causes ice within the Arctic to soften, rising competitors for meals, which can clarify the extent of Freya’s travels.
The Directorate of Fisheries mentioned in a press release final month that “euthanasia is out of the question” and the “last option” provided that walruses are a protected species in Norway.
There are about 225,000 walruses on the earth, according to the World Wildlife Fund.
On Thursday, the company warned in a press release that euthanasia was an possibility, noting that onlookers have been gathering simply ft away from the walrus to take photographs, throw objects and swim.
“The animal’s welfare is clearly weakened. The walrus is not getting enough rest and the professionals we are in dialogue with believe she is stressed,” Nadia Jdaini, a senior communications adviser on the Directorate of Fisheries, mentioned within the assertion.
Freya posed a “high” risk of potential hurt to followers and onlookers who didn’t observe official steerage to preserve their distance from her, in accordance to the assertion launched Sunday.
“We have considered all possible solutions carefully. We concluded that we could not ensure the animals welfare through any means available,” Bakke-Jensen mentioned.
He added that his division mentioned the potential of relocating Freya with the Norwegian Institute of Marine Research, however that “the extensive complexity of such an operation made us conclude that this was not a viable option.”
“There were several animal welfare concerns associated with a possible relocation,” he added.
Erlend Asta Lorentzen, communications adviser at Norway’s Institute of Marine Research, informed NBC News through e-mail on Friday that “shifting the walrus could be a tough course of, additionally as a result of tranquilizing features a danger of it drowning.”
Norwegian media outlets’ reports of the news of Freya’s death reflected her growing fame. “The famous walrus Freya is dead,” one read. “The killing of the celebrity walrus is receiving international attention,” read another report.
“We have sympathies for the truth that the choice may cause reactions with the general public, however I’m agency that this was the suitable name. We have nice regard for animal welfare, however human life and security should take priority,” Bakke-Jensen mentioned.
Caroline Radnofsky contributed.