Freya the walrus murdered because people refused to stop visiting her

Authorities in Norway killed female walrus Freya on early Sunday morning after on-site observations showed that the public had disregarded previous policies to observe the distance between them and the animal. Freya was put down out of concern for the safety of the public.

According to the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation, the female walrus' first recorded visit was in 2019. Freya was seen in the country's northern counties of Troms and Finnmark. The 600kg walrus was named after the Norse goddess of beauty and love.

Freya became a social media sensation this summer after photographs of her sunbathing on moored boats went viral. Unlike most walruses, Freya seemed to be unafraid of humans and would even swim in crowded areas around the Oslo Fjord.

Due to Freya's friendly nature, crowds would ignore warnings not to get close to her and take pictures, putting both themselves and the walrus at risk. Last week, Norway's fisheries ministry provided a photo of a large group of people, including children, standing within touching distance of Freya.

Nadia Jdaini, the spokesperson for the Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries, cited the public's disregard of " the current recommendation to keep a clear distance to the walrus," as the reason why they decided to put the animal down after their assessment deemed Freya to be a "continued threat to human safety."

The head of the directorate, Frank Bakke-Jensen, said other options including animal relocation were considered but weren't found to be viable options.

"We have sympathies for the fact that the decision can cause a reaction from the public, but I am firm that this was the right call," Bakke-Jensen said. "We have great regard for animal welfare, but human life and safety must take precedence."

Siri Martinsen, a spokeswoman for animal rights group NOAH, told TV2 television that the euthanasia performed was a rushed measure and that fines should have been issued to disperse the onlookers.

According to WWF, walruses are a protected species that typically normally live further north in the Arctic. It is likely that Freya travelled south from the Arctic after she saw changes in her habitat due to global warming.

The late Freya was estimated to be around 5 years old.