Young walrus euthanised because public wouldn't keep away from her

A walrus named Freya has been euthanised in Oslo, Norway after she attracted crowds to see her basking in the sunshine baking down upon a fjord.

It was announced on Sunday, via France24, that the young 600kg animal had died after appeals to the public to steer clear of the animal had been ignored.

In a statement, Frank Bakke-Jensen of Norway's Fisheries Directorate said: "The decision to euthanise was taken on the basis of a global evaluation of the persistent threat to human security.

"We carefully examined all the possible solutions. We concluded that we could not guarantee the well-being of the animal by any of the means available."

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Although walrus often lived in the more northern regions of the Arctic circle, Freya had recently become a local celebrity thanks to viral videos of her chasing ducks and sleeping on boats that struggled to support her weight.

However, the fame came with its dangers as more and more people, often with children flocked to the fjord to take photographs with Freya despite the clear hazards of being around an unpredictable animal of that size.

Freya had been seen in the waters of the Norweigian capital since July and officials had said that they had previously considered euthanasia after people ignored the warnings to stand clear of her.

Walruses are a protected species and feed mainly on molluscs, shrimps, crabs and small fish.

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