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Freya (walrus)

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Freya
SpeciesWalrus
SexFemale
Died14 August 2022
Oslofjord, Norway
Cause of deathEuthanasia
Weight600 kg (1,323 lb; 94 st 7 lb)
Named afterFreyja

Freya was the nickname of a young female walrus who appeared along the coasts of several western European countries (the Netherlands, United Kingdom, Denmark, Sweden and Norway) from October 2021 until her death on 14 August 2022. A rare sighting in the areas where she appeared, she attracted much attention of wildlife enthusiasts and the wider public. In the summer of 2022, after sunbathing on and sinking boats in the Oslo fjord, she was euthanised after concerns about her and the public's safety. She weighed approximately 600 kilograms (1,300 lb).[1][2][3][4]

Name

Freya was nicknamed after Freyja, the Norse goddess of love and beauty.[2]

Biography

Freya was spotted in October 2021 travelling on top of a Dutch submarine.[5] Following this, in December 2021, she was seen relaxing on a salmon farm cage near the island of Vementry in the Shetland Islands. Before this, Freya had been spotted off the coasts of Denmark, Germany, and Northumberland. She was identifiable via a pink spot on her nose.[6]

In the summer of 2022, Freya had become known for hauling out on and occasionally sinking boats in the Oslo fjord in order to sunbathe.[1][7] However, due to the attention from the media and public, many people went to see her, with many of them getting too close to Freya. A week prior to her death, the fisheries ministry published photos of crowds of people who stood within touching distance of her. There was also evidence of people throwing items at Freya. This behaviour prompted warnings from Norwegian authorities, who warned that approaching her could endanger both her and the public. In one incident, the police closed a bathing area after Freya chased a woman into the water.[1][7] Due to the attention Freya was receiving, the fisheries ministry consulted a vet on her condition, and considered that she was likely not getting enough rest and was stressed.[8] Authorities had initially hoped that Freya would leave the area of her own account.[9]

Death

After repeated warnings from Norwegian authorities, Freya was euthanised by the Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries in the morning of 14 August 2022, due to fears about her health and safety and the safety of the public, who had ignored warnings about getting too close to Freya. Frank Bakke-Jensen, the director general of fisheries, stated that the decision to euthanise her was based "on an overall assessment of the continued threat to human safety". Bakke-Jensen also stated that other options had been explored, including the possibility of moving Freya from the fjord (which was discussed with the Norwegian Institute of Marine Research), but these options were ultimately not carried out due to concerns regarding her welfare.[1][4]

Criticism

Siri Martinsen [no], veterinarian and leader of animal welfare group NOAH – for animal rights [no], criticized the decision to euthanize Freya and said that other measures should have been tried first. She also suggested that "those who fail to keep their distance from the animal should be fined, and I think that could have led to people following the guidelines," noting that imposing fines had not been considered.[4] Similar criticism was voiced by wildlife conservation organisations Seal Rehabilitation and Research Centre and SOS Dolphin [nl] in the Netherlands.[10]

Besides Freya, together with other spoted walruses, raises the question, what made her (better all of them) go so far south? Also in July 2022 a walrus locally nicknamed Stena was underway in the eastern Baltic, visited Sweden and entered the Gulf of Finland. She finally died in a garden near Kotka in Finland on July 19th. Stena did not survive the efforts of her rescue.[11]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Walrus Freya who became attraction in Norway's Oslo Fjord put down". BBC News. 14 August 2022. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  2. ^ a b "Freya the walrus: Norway officials warn of euthanasia risk if crowds don't stay away". the Guardian. 12 August 2022. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  3. ^ CNN, Zoe Sottile. "Norway warns it may have to kill a beloved 1,300-pound walrus named Freya". CNN. Retrieved 14 August 2022. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  4. ^ a b c Nikel, David (14 August 2022). "Norway Authorities Kill Freya The Walrus". Life in Norway. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  5. ^ "Travelling walrus hitches a lift with Dutch submarine". DutchNews.nl. 26 October 2021. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  6. ^ "Young Arctic walrus "Freya" spotted in Shetland". BBC News. 13 December 2021. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  7. ^ a b "Norway's Freya the walrus put down due to fears for public safety". Sky News. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  8. ^ "Freya the walrus could be euthanised if public do not keep distance, Norway warns". Sky News. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  9. ^ "Norway puts down Freya the walrus that drew Oslo crowds". Washington Post. AP. 14 August 2022. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  10. ^ "Opvangcentra snappen niet waarom walrus Freya gedood is". NU (in Dutch). 14 August 2022. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  11. ^ https://sweden.postsen.com/world/18402/The-lost-walrus-did-not-survive-the-journey.html
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