A 1,300-pound walrus is captivating onlookers while also creating chaos in northern Europe, overtaking and sometimes sinking vessels — all in search of an ideal sunbathing spot!Freya, a female walrus, has been tracked along Norway’s coast for months, where the animal has left a string of damaged boats in her wake,NBC News reported.The massive mammal searches for empty boats “to sleep and digest her food because they remind her of Arctic ice floes,” Kathrine Ryeng, a veterinary medicine scientist at Norway’s Institute of Marine Research, told the outlet.Freya’s antics are drawing attention on social media, earning her fans and foes alike.The lone animal has also been sighted off the coasts of the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Denmark and Sweden,according toUSA Today, with Norway being the most recent European stop on her summer tour.Freya was first spotted around northern parts of the country in 2019,the BBC reported, citing the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation.With the wily, whiskered animal creating havoc, the country’s Directorate of Fisheries is mulling a possible relocation for Freya.TOR ERIK SCHRDER/NTB/AFP via Getty Images"We are continuing our observation work to gain knowledge about grazing and resting patterns," the agencywrote in a statementon its website of the walrus, who is in good condition. “The best thing is if nature takes its course and she has moved away from areas with a lot of people. In any case, we are prepared if she were to cause problems elsewhere.“TOR ERIK SCHRDER/NTB/AFP via Getty ImagesNever miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Walruses are protected species in Norway. The Directorate of Fisheries said it has no intent of euthanizing the creature.Climate change could be a reason for Freya’s summer vacation, where sea loss is limiting the animal’s access to the Arctic’s icy waters, the BBC reported, per the World Wildlife Fund.
A 1,300-pound walrus is captivating onlookers while also creating chaos in northern Europe, overtaking and sometimes sinking vessels — all in search of an ideal sunbathing spot!
Freya, a female walrus, has been tracked along Norway’s coast for months, where the animal has left a string of damaged boats in her wake,NBC News reported.
The massive mammal searches for empty boats “to sleep and digest her food because they remind her of Arctic ice floes,” Kathrine Ryeng, a veterinary medicine scientist at Norway’s Institute of Marine Research, told the outlet.
Freya’s antics are drawing attention on social media, earning her fans and foes alike.
The lone animal has also been sighted off the coasts of the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Denmark and Sweden,according toUSA Today, with Norway being the most recent European stop on her summer tour.
Freya was first spotted around northern parts of the country in 2019,the BBC reported, citing the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation.
With the wily, whiskered animal creating havoc, the country’s Directorate of Fisheries is mulling a possible relocation for Freya.
TOR ERIK SCHRDER/NTB/AFP via Getty Images
“We are continuing our observation work to gain knowledge about grazing and resting patterns,” the agencywrote in a statementon its website of the walrus, who is in good condition. “The best thing is if nature takes its course and she has moved away from areas with a lot of people. In any case, we are prepared if she were to cause problems elsewhere.”
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Walruses are protected species in Norway. The Directorate of Fisheries said it has no intent of euthanizing the creature.
Climate change could be a reason for Freya’s summer vacation, where sea loss is limiting the animal’s access to the Arctic’s icy waters, the BBC reported, per the World Wildlife Fund.
source: people.com
