Global Courant 2023-05-01 05:37:50
A walrus who was controversially euthanized in Norway last year after becoming a viral sensation for videos of him enjoying himself in an Oslo fjord last summer now has his own statue in the Scandinavian capital.
The walrus, named Freya, was notable for its apparent lack of fear of humans, but Norwegian authorities made the decision to kill the beloved 1,300-pound animal for public safety reasons. officials recommended.
Astri Tonoian, the artist who created the life-size, crowdfunded statue unveiled Saturday in Oslo Bay, said it’s called “For Our Sins.”
“This is how people treat wildlife, but it’s also how people treat people,” she said, according to BBC News. “This is how we treated Freya. And that’s why I’ll call the statue For Our Sins.’
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A statue of Freya the walrus was unveiled on Saturday. (Annika Byrde/NTB Scanpix via AP)
Erik Holm, the crowdfunding organizer of the statue, told AFP news agency that he “started this because I am furious with the way the (Norwegian) Fisheries Directorate and the state handled this situation.”
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Frank Bakke-Jensen, director of the Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries, said in a statement before Freya was euthanized: “Observations at the scene over the past week made it clear that the public does not accept the current recommendation to keep a clear distance from the walrus, Therefore, the directorate concluded, the potential for harm to humans was high and animal welfare was not being maintained.”
The euthanasia caused public outcry in the country.
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Freya was often seen on boats, sometimes sinking them, and sometimes she was within reach of gawkers.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
