Freya, a 1,300-pound walrus who spent the summer hanging out on boats and swimming on piers in the Oslo fjord to the delight of many locals, has been killed by Norwegian authorities, who say she was a threat to human safety. Norway’s fisheries directorate said the decision to euthanize the walrus early Sunday morning local time came after the public ignored repeated warnings to stay away from Freja. “I’m sure that was the right call. We have great respect for animal welfare, but human life and safety must come first,” said Norway’s head of fisheries, Frank Bakke-Jensen, in a statement. The young female walrus – nicknamed the Norse goddess of beauty and love – has been making waves in the Norwegian capital since mid-July, apparently attracting attention in what some media have described as the “hot girl summer”. her. Verdens Gang, a Norwegian tabloid, set up a 24-hour live camera to film their exploits. The decision to euthanize Freya sparked an immediate backlash on social media, with many people denouncing the decision as a national disgrace. Some raised questions about why authorities didn’t try to move the marine to safer ground. region. ‘Cheeky’ sea lions return to New Zealand shores — and locals learn to share the shore Bakke-Jensen said the movement of the marine mammal was thoroughly examined, with the help of experts at the Norwegian Institute of Marine Research. Authorities concluded the complexity of the business meant “this was not a viable option,” he said. He added that there are “several animal welfare concerns associated with a potential relocation”. He did not detail those concerns. Freya had also been spotted along the coasts of several European countries in recent months, including Britain, Denmark and the Netherlands. (The young walrus was once hoisted aboard a Dutch submarine. Fittingly, it belonged to the Walrus class of vessels.) Walruses usually live in the ice-covered waters of Canada, Greenland, Norway, Russia and Alaska. There are approximately 25,000 Atlantic walruses and 200,000 Pacific walruses in the wild. They usually rest on the sea ice between feeding periods. Marine mammals are protected in the United States. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit ruled last year that the Trump administration acted improperly in its decision to deny listing the Pacific walrus as endangered or threatened in 2017. As the climate warms, wildlife advocates worry that melting sea ice is forcing walruses to rest more often on land — and driving them away from traditional fishing habitat. Antarctica’s ‘sleeping giant’ at risk of melting, sea level rise threatens Walruses are also exposed to more shipping, tourism, industry and noise, according to the World Wildlife Fund. Animals are easily startled and may tremble in an attempt to reach the safety of water. In a recent video from Oslo, a trio on jet skis stopped a stone’s throw from a boat where Freya was sleeping, while several onlookers watched from the pier. Officials released a photo Sunday of several people crowding a pier a few feet from the animal, their faces blurred for privacy. “Through field observations last week it became clear that the public ignored the current recommendation to keep a clear distance from the walrus,” Bakke-Jensen said. “The potential for potential harm to humans was high and animal welfare was not maintained,” he added. Rune Aae, a researcher at the University of Southeastern Norway who has been tracking the walrus through the Facebook group “Freya the walrus — where is she now?”, criticized Norway’s decision to euthanize Freya as “hasty” and “completely unnecessary”. . .” The school holidays are almost over for the summer and curious onlookers who have gathered to observe the walrus in the waters of Norway’s capital will soon disperse, Aae wrote on Sunday.
