In Norway, for public safety reasons, Freya the walrus, which has become a popular attraction in the Oslo Fjord Bay, was put to sleep. This is reported by the BBC.
The euthanasia operation was carried out "humanely", the body was delivered to veterinarians for further examination.
The walrus, nicknamed Freya, became famous for climbing onto boats to sunbathe and sometimes sinking ships. People were warned not to get too close to the animal, but they ignored it. For example, Freya once drove a woman into the water. Last week, Norwayʼs Ministry of Fisheries released a photo of a large group of people, including children, standing within touching distance of the animal.
Fisheries director general Frank Bakke-Jensen said the decision to euthanize the animal was based "on a joint assessment of the ongoing human safety threat."
"Last weekʼs observations showed that the public ignored the advice to keep a safe distance from the walrus. Thus, the Office came to the conclusion that the probability of potential harm to people is high, and the welfare of animals is at risk," the official noted.
Other options, including moving Frey out of the fjord, were considered, but they were rejected due to concerns about the good condition of the walruses.
Usually walruses do not attack people, but this has happened. So, in 2016, a walrus killed a tourist and a zookeeper in a Chinese wildlife park: the tourist was taking a selfie with the animal when it grabbed him and dragged him underwater, the keeper who rushed to help also went under the water.