In July, after "circumnavigating" European waters, Freya, the walrus, returned to Oslo, Norway, to become a popular "internet celebrity".
In the weeks since, the wandering walrus has appeared at various locations on the southern coast of Norway, drawing the attention of Norwegian authorities.
However, in less than a month, on August 14, the Norwegian Fisheries Agency euthanized Freya out of risk considerations, which immediately caused a social media sensation.
Freya rests on a boat in the Oslo Fjord in Norway.
01 This young walrus is probably separated from her mother
Freya is a 600-kilogram 5-year-old female walrus. According to information disclosed by the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation, in 2019, Freya appeared in Norway for the first time. Over the next three years, she traveled to several countries, including the United Kingdom, Denmark, Sweden and the Netherlands.
On 17 July, Freya returned to Oslo, Norway. Because of his bulky and cute image, he immediately became a "star" on social media.
For weeks, Freya, bathed in the sunshine of the Oslo Fjords, caused a sensation in the media, bending several boats to attract Norwegian onlookers.
On 18 July, Freya lay on a boat in Oslo.
Because of her likability, she was named after Freya, the Norwegian goddess of beauty, motherhood and peace. The average lifespan of a walrus is about 40 years, so this young walrus is likely to have been separated from her mother.
People like to interact with Freya, and many parents will say when they take their children out, "Let's go and see if you are lucky enough to see Freya." ”
People would often throw her some food, and she would take it all. From time to time, she also climbed onto a boat docked at the dock, sometimes hanging out on the pier, or simply lying on the dock with her belly exposed. Under people's lens, Freya is mostly napping, after all, walruses can sleep up to 20 hours a day. Freya shook her head as she struggled to keep her balance from falling off the ship.
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A short video that is very popular on the Internet shows Freya struggling to climb the stern of the boat, the bulky and cute look is very pleasing, she is comfortably basking in the sun, trying to support her huge body, due to the weight, sometimes overturned the boat and fell into the water.
When she is not dozing off on the boat, she chases ducks or attacks swans. She also drinks water from yachts in the water, and usually feeds on scallops and mussels in the water.
Each of its appearances caused a lot of sensations, and quickly became the headlines in the local area, and even attracted countless people to watch. Some media reports have called her a "hot girl summer", and people have been swimming around Freya, feeding her food and posing for photos with her.
However, Norwegian authorities are beginning to notice the risk of people crowding around her.
The Fisheries Authority said the public, adults and children in Oslo ignored warnings to keep their distance and came into close contact with walruses.
This photo was taken on Wednesday, August 10. For personal privacy reasons, the image has been mosaicked
©Directorate of Fisheries
02 "The area she's in isn't natural to her. ”
Olav Lekver, a spokeswoman for the Norwegian Fisheries Agency, said Freya posed a threat to human safety because she was keen to chase people's paddle boards and kayaks. In addition, the walrus needs a lot of rest, and people bother her all the time, "the area she is in is not natural to her." ”
Authorities have repeatedly warned people and called for everyone to stay away from the walrus, but in vain. Curious bystanders continued to approach her, sometimes bringing their children with them. Last week, the Norwegian Fisheries Service issued an ultimatum: If she could no longer persuade onlookers to leave, Freya would be in danger of being "euthanized."
The ultimatum immediately reverberated strongly on social media, with many condemning the decision as a disgrace to the nation. Some have questioned why authorities are not trying to move walruses to safer areas.
In the early morning of August 14, local time, Norwegian authorities euthanized Freya.
According to official statements from the Norwegian authorities, euthanasia was finally carried out because the public ignored government warnings. "Through on-site observations over the past week, it is clear that the public is ignoring previous recommendations to 'keep their distance from walruses.'" Frank Bakke-Jensen, director general of the Norwegian Fisheries Agency, said.
"This action [referring to the euthanasia of walruses] is likely to be approved." Vegard Oen Hatten, a spokesman for the Norwegian Fisheries Agency, told The New York Times. He added that several possible solutions had been discussed, including moving Freya out of the area, while noting that killing Freya would be a "last resort."
©Amelie Koch/Shutterstock.com
In the solutions discussed, they claimed that, with the help of experts from the Norwegian Institute of Oceanography, a comprehensive assessment of the problem of the transfer of marine mammals was carried out. Transporting animals is a big risk. Also in August, a 13-foot-long beluga whale ran aground in a river northwest of Paris, and although the massive rescue operation involved 80 people, including divers, scientists, police officers and firefighters, it ended in the death of the beluga whale.
On August 10, 2022, firefighters and search and rescue crews were struggling to pull up a net to save a beluga whale that had strayed into the Seine River in France.
The Norwegian Fisheries Agency concluded that the complexity of the operation showed that "this is not a viable option".
The announcement also noted that according to veterinary experts, walruses appear to have received great attention from humans and that animal welfare has been compromised. The Bureau therefore concluded that "the likelihood of potential harm to humans is high; Animal welfare cannot be ensured in any available way. But Bakke-Jensen did not elaborate on concerns about animal welfare issues or how Freya was killed, saying only that it was "in accordance with the rules."
03 What is home?
Freya in the Oslo Fjord on July 18.
Walruses, as social animals, usually appear in flocks. So far south of the Arctic, it's rare to see a lone walrus frolicking.
According to WWF, the natural habitat of walruses is the Arctic, with about 225,000 walruses living in Arctic regions such as Greenland and Svalbard. Walruses drag themselves to the ice in their usual habitat, which is why Freya always drags herself to the docks and boats.
It's unclear how Freya stayed away from Arctic waters. Some scientists believe that walruses have lost some of their habitat and wandered along the coast for long periods of time, which is related to the melting of the ice sheet caused by global warming.
©Tom Arnbom/ WWF-Canon
Climate change is treading on thin ice for Pacific walrus populations, and WWF is helping walruses adapt to the Arctic effects of climate change.
Of course, the presence of walruses in northern Europe is not entirely unusual, and similar incidents have occurred. In March last year, another walrus, Wally, appeared off the southwest coast of England, and according to marine experts, Wally must have come from Svalbard, between Norway and the Arctic, and its iceberg drifted away, so it came to unfamiliar waters.
Wally's lost journey made global headlines, and the places he passed were noticed. In the Isles of Scilly, local officials provided him with a floating dock to prevent him from destroying other vessels with a massive body of about 1,700 pounds. People would also take pictures with Wally, but they were warned by the British authorities.
In August 2021, The Arctic walrus Wally rests on a speedboat in County Cork, Ireland. People tried to coax him from the speedboat to a cheaper boat
Although Wally was also very harmful, the British authorities also considered some methods, but in the end they were not implemented, and people even demanded that the relevant officials be removed. After disappearing for 22 days, Wally was spotted in Iceland, and he was on his way back to the North Pole. Now, Wally should live in peace in the Arctic.
But for Freya, Norwegian officials have a different view.
"Her situation is unique, Freya has been wandering the coasts for at least two years," said Vegard Oen Hatten, a spokesman. "This is the first time an animal has been away from its natural habitat for so long."
Some experts believe that Freya is on her way back to her habitat. In order to return home, she had to go south, down to Denmark, then across England, and finally back to the north. But she may have some difficulty finding the road, as she will find the recently arrived Oslo Fjord a dead end in the north.
Google Maps by Rune Aae
Rune Aae, a biology professor at South-East University in Norway, has been tracking Freya's activities on Google Maps to help people know when she's leaving and where she's going again.
"She had to turn around, but she hadn't turned around so far," Aae said, "and she didn't have a map, she didn't know it was a dead end."
But within a week, Freya was euthanized.
After Freya was pronounced dead, Rune Aae posted a long post of condemnation on Facebook on Sunday
04 "What a pity!"
After the news of Freya's euthanasia came out, it once again caused a social media sensation.
In a Facebook post on Sunday, Aae denounced Norwegian authorities, saying the decision to euthanize her was "too hasty".
"Sooner or later Freya will leave the Oslo Fjords, as all previous experience proves, so euthanasia is completely unnecessary in my opinion," he wrote.
"What a pity!"
The number of comments online condemning the Norwegian authorities' practices has been numerous.
"You should be ashamed that, as a human being, you are incompetent."
"She was not threatening, and it was disgraceful that the government's excesses had killed innocent animals. I'm really ashamed of you. ”
"My heart sank to the bottom of the sea with me. Freya was so beautiful and innocent, she was living her own life. I don't understand why. ”
You should be ashamed to choose to euthanize harmless animals because their happiness cannot be guaranteed. May Freya's death not be in vain, and may the regret of this cruelty haunt you forever.
They killed her "for the safety of people" and refused to stay away from her?! If she is really a protected species there, then why not stop, arrest, accuse ... The people who harassed her. These are the people who caused her to be killed, and will they be held responsible for it?
Re: This is the saddest place in Norway where most people (including those in power) hate wildlife...
Definitely sloppy, not an act worthy of credit. It's a good animal, she's really no danger to anybody, and I think they overreact and take pleasure in killing innocent animals. All of you should be ashamed. You should resign. But as always, fish and games are what they want
Can't believe it! The person who authorized her to die should be condemned, what an upside-down world we live in, and humans must kill innocent animals that may have come to this planet before we did. It's really, really sad and anyone who makes this decision will feel ashamed.
When I heard the news this morning, my heart was heavy. Freya was pretty and curious just living her life. The world is degenerating because people are reluctant to listen. I can never understand.
Freya lay on the boat and sank it in an instant.
The Oslo Fjords are bustling in the summer months for swimmers, boating and other water recreation projects. Walruses are gregarious animals that rarely venture alone, but unlike most walruses, Freya seems to be unafraid of humans. This may be the reason why she spends her summer days in a densely populated area.
"Usually, walruses appear on some islands, but they leave quickly because they are afraid of people." But Freya doesn't seem to be afraid of people, Aae said, "Actually, I think she likes people, so that's why she doesn't leave." Maybe she thinks we're her companions. ”