The walrus that rose to fame this year for her adorable stubbornness for basking in the sun on moored boats in Oslo, Norway, was euthanized, officials said.
Nicknamed Freya, the walrus was put down because it remained an ongoing threat to human security because people got too close to it.
“The decision to euthanize was made on the basis of a global assessment of the ongoing threat to human security,” said Frank Bakke-Jensen, head of Norway’s fisheries directorate.
“We carefully examined all possible solutions. We came to the conclusion that we could not guarantee the welfare of the animal with any of the available resources,” he said.
Repeated calls to the public to keep their distance from the walrus have not worked, officials had previously said, adding that people have also been throwing things at Freya. They said they were considering euthanizing the 600kg young woman if people continue to defy the advice.
The walrus had made headlines last month after being spotted in Oslo’s waters, sometimes seen attacking a swan or sunbathing on moored boats. She had become famous with people, sometimes children, trying to get close to her to take pictures.
In addition to Norway, Freya was spotted in the UK, Denmark and Sweden.
With inputs from AFP