Oslo has revealed a bronze statue of a walrus named Freya, who was previously a famous attraction but was euthanized due to concerns for public safety. The statue portrays Freya lying on her side on a shore and was created by Astri Tonoian, who named it “For Our Sins” to represent how humans treat wild nature and each other.
An online campaign raised $25,000 to fund the statue’s creation, with campaign organizer Erik Holm expressing anger towards the Norwegian Fisheries Directorate and the state’s handling of the situation.
Last August, Freya, who weighed around 600kg, was put down due to safety concerns, which sparked criticism across Norway. The walrus had become famous for climbing onto boats to sunbathe, sometimes causing them to sink.
The local authorities claimed that people had disregarded warnings to avoid getting too close to the animal, endangering themselves and Freya. In one instance, police blocked off a bathing area after the walrus chased a woman into the water. Additionally, the Norwegian fisheries ministry shared a photo showing a large group of people, including children, standing dangerously close to the animal.
Frank Bakke-Jensen, the director general of fisheries, defended the decision to euthanize Freya, stating that it was based on an assessment of the continuing threat to human safety. Bakke-Jensen explained that the public had disregarded recommendations to keep a safe distance from the walrus, and therefore, the potential for harm to people was high, and animal welfare was not being maintained.
He added that the operation to put Freya down was done humanely, and her body was taken for examination by veterinarians.
Freya, who was first seen in Oslo in July last year, was named after the Norse goddess of beauty and love. As a protected species, walruses are typically found further north in the Arctic and generally do not attack humans, although there have been a few rare incidents. In 2016, at a wildlife park in China, a tourist and a zookeeper were killed by a walrus.
The tourist had allegedly been taking selfies with the animal when he was grabbed and pulled underwater, while the zookeeper attempted to rescue him and was also pulled under.
Picture Courtesy: Google/images are subject to copyright
