The unexpected tragic story of Freya, the friendly walrus.

When a 600kg walrus named Freya appeared in Oslo Fjord, she quickly became Norway's favourite celebrity.

Her journey likely began in the Arctic, capturing attention throughout her European tour, with sightings across the UK, Denmark and Sweden, before reaching Oslo.

Watch Freya the friendly walrus. Post continues after video.

Despite warnings from officials, crowds would gather to watch her cheeky antics — namely climbing awkwardly onto boats.

While Freya was not openly aggressive, authorities considered the mammal a hazard due to her sheer size and unpredictable behaviour. She was a wild animal, after all.

"Having a half-tonne heavy walrus — with sharp tusks — swimming among people is pretty risky," said Erik Born, a senior scientist at the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, as per the BBC.

And, sure, walruses have been known to attack scuba divers and small boats on occasion. But not often.

These low statistics, however, according to Copenhagen Zoo's Zoological Director, are down to the fact that walruses tend to move in remote areas. When they do come into contact with humans, they are capable of inflicting "serious damage", explained the Director, named Mads Frost Bertelsen.

Still, not to be deterred, crowds gathered in droves to delight in the seemingly friendly walrus, who was quickly gaining notoriety.

Sadly, her audiences wouldn't last long.

In August 2022, less than a month after Freya's first appearance, Norway's Fisheries Directorate chose to euthanise the walrus, deeming her a threat to public safety.

The decision sparked an outpouring of grief and anger among the local community, with critics arguing that the death was completely avoidable.

"The risk was potential rather than demonstrated," commented Fern Wickson, a professor at the Arctic University of Norway. She suggested the government could have focused on controlling the crowds, allowing Freya to remain without the threat of harm.

The sentiment resonated with those who felt Norway had "murdered" Freya, and public anger led to an online campaign that raised nearly $24,000 for a memorial statue.

The Directorate, however, defended its decision, citing unsuccessful attempts to find safer alternatives.

"Human behaviour significantly increased risk in this case," said Dr Jeff W Higdon, a consulting Arctic marine mammal biologist from Canada.

"Everyone who crowded that animal put themselves and their children at risk and contributed to the unfortunate outcome."

One alternate suggestion involved immobilising Freya with anaesthesia, but experts warned she could drown if sedated in water. Another plan proposed relocating her using a net, but there was a high risk of the walrus becoming entangled and panicking.

So, the Directorate insisted that euthanasia was the "right measure," given Freya's potential to cause injury, and the resources needed to manage her presence.

"Freya posed a danger to the public — and the public posed a danger to Freya," said Rod Downie, chief advisor for the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).

However, a year earlier, a very similar story hit headlines… with a starkly different outcome. In July 2021, Wally the Walrus captured hearts in the Isles of Scilly.

Like Freya, Wally caused a fair share of trouble, sinking and damaging multiple boats as he traversed the coastlines of Europe looking for a place to lie in the sun.

However, despite the 'risky' behaviour, Wally was not euthanised. Instead, he was given a purpose-built pontoon — which encouraged him to stay off boats and provided him a safe place to rest.

The pontoon, which was described as essential for Wally's wellbeing, was a collaborative effort between British Divers Marine Life Rescue and other local organisations.

At the same time, officials reminded onlookers to maintain a respectful distance from Wally, allowing him the peaceful environment needed to continue his journey.

It poses the question: could Freya's death have been avoided with a similar approach? While Wally's pontoon exhibited human intervention in the best possible way, Freya's case was the opposite.

"Human behaviour significantly increased risk in this case," Canadian marine mammal biologist Dr Jeff W Higdon said of Freya.

Some experts, however, argue that Freya's death was inevitable, pointing to her size, unpredictability, and the complexities of relocating such a massive wild animal.

Zoological Director Bertelsen insisted he would have made the same decision, emphasising the dangers posed by a 600kg walrus in crowded areas.

Senior scientist Erik Born also supported Norway's choice with regards to Freya, but acknowledged the public's grief, saying, "It's tragic for all involved".

Tragic, indeed.

Rest easy, Freya.