A walrus nicknamed Freya that drew crowds while sunbathing in the Oslofjord has been euthanized.
“The decision to euthanize was made on the basis of a global assessment of the ongoing threat to human security,” the head of Norway’s Fisheries Directorate, Frank Bakke-Jensen, said in a statement.
“We have carefully examined all possible solutions. We concluded that we cannot guarantee the welfare of the animal by any means available,” he said.
Officials had previously said they were considering euthanasia because repeated appeals to the public to distance themselves from the 600kg young woman had been in vain.
Freya, whose name was a nod to the Norse goddess of beauty and love, has been making headlines since July 17 when she was first spotted in the waters of the Norwegian capital.
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Walruses typically live in the even more northerly latitudes of the Arctic.
Between long naps — a walrus can sleep up to 20 hours a day — Freya was filmed chasing a duck, attacking a swan and mostly dozing on boats struggling to carry her bulk.
Despite repeated appeals, curious people, sometimes with children in tow, kept approaching her to take photos.
Freya had already been spotted in the UK, the Netherlands, Denmark and Sweden and decided to spend part of the summer in Norway.
Freya first came to prominence in Norway climbing on pleasure boats in Kragerø, a quaint village on the south coast.
The walrus is a protected species that feeds primarily on invertebrates such as mollusks, shrimp, crabs, and small fish.