Authorities claim that a walrus that has gained notoriety in Norway's Oslo Fjord is being harmed by excessive attention and might be killed.
The walrus, known as Freya, gained notoriety for climbing onto boats to sunbathe and occasionally capsizing them.
However, the Norwegian fisheries ministry claims that individuals are endangering her and themselves by coming too close.
If crowds continue, it is contemplating taking drastic steps, like euthanasia.
Big story in Norway this summer is a walrus we've named Freya has made it to our shores and is touring the country, laying around and sinking boats pic.twitter.com/rQolsxd88b
— Wild Geerters (@steinkobbe) July 19, 2022
1,300-Pound Celebrity Walrus in Norway May Die Unless People Back Off
According to the fisheries ministry (per BBC News), the 1,300-pound (600-kg) walrus continues to draw crowds despite repeated warnings.
A picture showing a sizable crowd of people, including youngsters, standing close to the animal was posted with its statement.
Vegard Oen Hatten, a spokeswoman for the Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries, told The New York Times on Friday that individuals have also been swimming near Frea, hurling items at her, and posing for pictures, occasionally with their children.
The government has issued warnings to keep away from the walrus. Still, Mr. Hatten said that if the warnings are ineffective, there is a possibility of greenlighting a controlled operation to put the animal down.
He noted that killing Freya would be a "last resort," adding that there are other potential alternatives, such as removing Freya from the region. No conclusion has been reached.
A female walrus named Freya lies at the waterfront at Frognerstranda in Oslo on July 18, 2022. - For a week, a young female walrus nicknamed Freya has enamoured Norwegians by basking in the sun of the Oslo fjord, making a splash in the media and bending a few boats.
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Who Is Freya?
Norwegian station TV2 pointed out that Freya, who was given the name after the Norse goddess of beauty, fertility, and battle, is thought to be five years old.
According to TV2, walruses have a 40-year lifespan. Therefore Freya is still a young celebrity who may have been removed from her mother when she was a calf.
BBC News, which quoted the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation, pointed out that she was initially noticed in Norway about 2019 and has since been spotted multiple times in the UK, Denmark, Sweden, and the Netherlands.
However, the risk posed by individuals swarming around her wasn't noticed by officials until she landed in Oslo in July.
Freya became an instant online sensation after people found the walrus relaxing on recreational boats parked close to Oslo, the capital of Norway. She would sometimes sink the ships as she hopped aboard for sunbathing, Insider wrote.
Freya's internet fan following is expanding thanks to videos of her belly-flopping aboard boats, dozing off, and chasing ducks.
Insider, citing the Norway's Directorate of Fisheries, said a veterinarian has already determined that Freya isn't getting enough sleep and that specialists have determined that she is "stressed."
This summer, the body has published more than a dozen alerts about Freya.
Being so far south of the Arctic, where walruses generally live in herds, it is unusual to see a lone walrus playing about.
Similar to Freya, a celebrity walrus by the name of Wally was seen sinking boats off the coast of Ireland last year. According to the BBC, Wally has greater travel experience because he has swum 2,500 kilometers down the coast of western Europe, all the way to Spain.
RELATED ARTICLE: Wally the Arctic Walrus That Drifted to Ireland, Hitching a Ride Home on Passing Ships
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