Freya, the young 600kg (1,300lb) walrus who drew crowds of curious onlookers at the Oslo fjord, has been euthanized. The announcement was made by the head of Norway’s fisheries directorate, Frank Bakke-Jensen, who said that the decision to kill her had been taken “on the basis of a global evaluation of the persistent threat to human security”, according to The Guardian.
Crowd-favorite Freya had been sighted in the UK, Netherlands, Denmark and Sweden, and had chosen to spend part of the summer in Norway. She was initially spotted lounging on pleasure boats in July, and initial fears were that her bulk could damage them. Later, authorities repeatedly warned the public to keep their distance as they disturbed her while she slept.
“The public’s reckless behavior and failure to follow authorities’ recommendations could put lives in danger,” a spokesperson for the fisheries agency said at the time. “We are now exploring other measures, and euthanasia may be a real alternative.”
