Freya the walrus put down after getting stressed out by people demanding selfies

A huge walrus weighing a whopping 1,300lbs has been put down after stress caused by the public demanding selfies because too much for her.

Freya, a tourist attraction in the Oslo fjord in Norway, was known for climbing into boats in the water and taking selfies with tourists.

But despite request from experts to keep their distance from the young female mammal, an increase in her public stature meant that more and more people were flocking to the area.

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This caused Freya's stress levels to increase, and made her a danger to humans.

Observations during the last week made it clear that she could no longer be around people – and people were ignoring requests not to be around her.

Frank Bakke-Jensen, fisheries director for Norway, said: “Through on-site observations the past week it was made clear that the public has disregarded the current recommendation to keep a clear distance to the walrus.

“Therefore, the Directorate has concluded, the possibility for potential harm to people was high and animal welfare was not being maintained.

“We have considered all possible solutions carefully, but have concluded that we could not ensure the animals welfare through any means available.

“We have great regard for animal welfare, but human life and safety must take precedence.

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“The operation was conducted in a humane fashion.”

An official warning was given last week that measures would need to be taken because of fears that members of the public could end up hurt – and measures have now been taken.

According to local news reports, the toll taken on the animal had seen her health decline because she was not getting “enough rest”.

This led to increased stress levels for poor Freya.

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It is not clear how the poor animal was put down, but officials said it was done "humanely".

Sadly, Freya wasn't even native to the area after stopping off in Norway on her trip to pastures new.

She was previously sighted in the country in 2019, but was in Troms and Finnmark during that trip.

It is thought that she was heading back to the Arctic via Norway, but will now not complete her journey.

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