Norwegian authorities put down Freya the walrus
Freya, the walrus, was put down on Sunday morning, the Directorate of Fisheries informed, pointing out that repeated dangerous situations became a triggering factor for the decision.
“The decision to euthanize (the walrus) was taken after an overall assessment where we concluded that people’s lives and health could be in danger,” Frank Bakke-Jensen stated in a press release.
The animal was put down by personnel from the Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries in an animal welfare-responsible manner, the Directorate stated.
“Well-trained personnel carried out the operation according to current routines for terminating marine mammals,” Bakke-Jensen added.
Risks
The Directorate of Fisheries has repeatedly stated that relocation has been considered an alternative to get the walrus away from the crowds.
“A possible relocation operation would have been very complicated and associated with high risk, so this option was abandoned,” Bakke-Jensen explained.
“We have considered all possible measures very thoroughly. We came to the conclusion that we did not have the opportunity to safeguard animal welfare in a good enough way with other measures,” he said.
The police and the Norwegian Food Safety Authority were notified in advance. The walrus has now been handed over for further handling by veterinarians.
Several dangerous situations
Freya appeared in Oslo in mid-July after moving further and further north up the Oslofjord in recent months.
She attracted many spectators who wanted to catch a glimpse of the rare visitor from the Arctic.
However, the intense attention meant that the walrus did not get enough rest, according to the experts. Both the Directorate of Fisheries and many others repeatedly urged people to keep a good distance from the animal.
“In the last week, the Directorate of Fisheries has concluded that the risk of dangerous situations for people and animals was very high.
“Despite repeated appeals, the public did not follow recommendations to keep their distance from the walrus, and dangerous situations arose on several occasions,” the Directorate of Fisheries noted.
Source: © NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today / #NorwayTodayNews
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