Freya the walrus who shot to global fame after being seen frolicking in Norway before she was euthanised by officials is honoured with a bronze sculpture
- Freya, a 600kg walrus named after a God, has been immortalised in bronze
- Read more: Moment walrus named after Norse god grunts at fisherman
A walrus named after a Norse God who captured the world’s attention last summer has been honoured with a bronze sculpture in Norway.
Freya, a 600kg (1,300lbs) playful walrus, who became a global celebrity last year after she was seen frolicking and basking in a Oslo fjord, was euthanised by the authorities after they said people had got too close to her.
She has now been honoured with a life-size sculpture by Norwegian artist Astri Tonoian, which was unveiled on Saturday at the Oslo marina not far from her favourite sunbathing spot.
The walrus, named Freya, quickly become a popular attraction among Oslo residents but Norwegian authorities later made a decision to euthanise her – causing public outrage – because they said people had not followed recommendations to keep a safe distance away from the massive animal.
Norwegian news agency NTB said a crowdfunding campaign was kicked off last autumn to finance the sculpture.
Freya, a 600kg (1,300lbs) playful walrus, has been immortalised in a bronze sculpture placed in Oslo’s marina
The walrus, named Freya, quickly become a popular attraction among Oslo residents in the summer of 2022
The private initiative managed to gather about 270,000 Norwegian kroner (around £20,200) by October.
Campaign organiser Erik Holm said: ‘I started this because I’m furious about the way the Fisheries Directorate and the state handled this situation.
‘Beyond the issue of Freya, we need to ask ourselves how we treat animals and nature. We need to think about our relationship to wildlife,’ he added.
The walrus is a protected species that normally lives in the more northerly latitudes of the Arctic.
Walruses do not normally behave aggressively towards humans, but they can feel threatened by intruders and attack (Freya in naval port of Den Helder)
The walrus is a protected species that normally lives in the more northerly latitudes of the Arctic (Freya in naval port of Den Helder)
Despite repeated appeals to stay away, curious onlookers approached the mammal, sometimes with children in tow, to take photographs.
Walruses do not normally behave aggressively towards humans, but they can feel threatened by intruders and attack.
Critics said the decision to put the animal down was rushed and did not take her well-being into account.
Officials said sedating Freya and moving her to a less populated area would have been too complex an operation.
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