- The great interest in female Freya walruses in Norway is now the cause of their demise.
- For safety reasons, the animal was killed on Sunday morning, the Directorate of Fisheries announced afterwards.
The walrus weighing nearly 600 kilograms has repeatedly appeared in the past few weeks in front of the Norwegian capital, Oslo, put on boats at the mooring and has developed into a summer attraction. Usually, walruses live in the north in arctic waters.
People did not stay at a distance
Authorities have repeatedly warned onlookers, tourists and residents to stay away from them. The Fishing Directorate was particularly disturbed by the fact that people jumped into the water with Freya and got very close to the animal with the children on the bank to take pictures.
Caption:
Time and time again, people have come too close to walruses.
Images by imago / TOR Eric Schroeder
“We evaluated all possible options,” said Fisheries Director Frank Buck-Jensen, according to a statement. Animal transportation has been discussed before. However, the risks of such a procedure were too great.
“People’s life and safety must come first”
One can understand whether the public is now upset or not, Buck-Jensen said. But although animal welfare is a valuable asset, human life and safety must come first.
In July, authorities wanted to avoid euthanasia at all costs. “Wild animals are wild, protected and listed in the Red List. This means that killing is the last option,” she said in a statement at the time.
“Tv specialist. Friendly web geek. Food scholar. Extreme coffee junkie.”
More Stories
Extreme heat warning in Thailand and the Philippines
Hovering at 600 km/h: Japan's new bullet train delayed
Biography of former British Prime Minister Liz Truss: Without shame or guilt – News