FUREVER & WALRUS

Norway Kills Beloved 1,300-Pound Walrus Because Gawkers Wouldn’t Leave Her Alone

The public’s disregard of a warning “to keep a clear distance to the walrus” led to the decision, authorities said.

The Norwegian government euthanized one of its best and brightest early Sunday—a 1,300-pound walrus named Freya, who attracted international attention over the summer after weeks spent napping on docks and sinking boats in the Oslo Fjord. Freya was seemingly unafraid of the people who flocked to the fjord to snap photos and try to get close to her, and Norwegian officials said she had begun to pose a “high risk” to human safety. The animal had been chasing kayakers and paddleboarders, Olav Lekver, a spokesman for the Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries, told The New York Times. In a statement, the Norwegian agency said that the public’s disregard of a warning “to keep a clear distance to the walrus” had led to the decision. It added that it had considered alternative options, but none had seemed viable. “Many other options should’ve been tried before killing her,” a biologist told the Times, calling it “too hasty.”