revelation
Memorial to euthanized walrus Freya unveiled in Oslo
Artist Tonoian’s sculpture commemorating the walrus Freya is unveiled by walrus expert Rune Aae (l) and initiator Erik Holm at Kongen Marina. photo
© Annika Byrde/NTB/dpa
Freya appeared off Oslo in the summer of 2022 and lay down on boats there from time to time. The walrus became a real attraction. Now it gets its own monument.
In Oslo, a monument now commemorates the walrus Freya, which in 2022 first became an attraction in the Norwegian capital and was then euthanized despite protests. The monument shows the animal, which weighs almost 600 kilograms, curled up on the shore of the Oslofjord. A fundraising campaign had raised 270,000 Norwegian kroner (22,800 euros) for the statue.
Sculptor Astri Tonoian said at a ceremony on Saturday the case was important. It’s about how people deal with nature, Tonoian said, according to broadcaster NRK. The memorial is a reminder of how decisions are made and how well they are justified.
Freya repeatedly appeared off Oslo in the summer of 2022 and lay on boats at anchor. Despite repeated warnings from the authorities, onlookers jumped into the water to see the animal or got very close to it with children on the bank to take photos. Finally, the Fisheries Directorate assessed the safety risk as too great, and Freya was put to sleep on August 14th.