Freya the Walrus put down in Norway

Freya the walrus as she slept on a salmon cage off Vementry last year. Photo: Adrian Darbyshire

She was the creature who grabbed attention wherever she went. But now, Freya the walrus has been put down in Norway.

Authorities have carried out a controlled operation to euthanise Freya following concerns for human and animal welfare.

Freya, who was said to weigh some 600kg, had become a familiar sight for Norwegians in recent weeks, commonly being spotted around Oslo’s harbours and piers.

Fans of Freya had been warned not to get too close to her. It was hoped that she would leave of her own accord.

However, she was reported to have been seen climbing onto small boats, causing them to sink where they were tied up.

Freya had made a name for herself in the isles.

Last year Freya arrived in the West Mainland, where she was discovered hauled out on a salmon cage off Vementry.

She was thought to be a juvenile female which was last seen in November on a brief visit to Northumberland.

Before that she had been spotted relaxing on top of a Dutch submarine in a naval base in North Holland.

But today [Sunday] she was killed by the directorate of fisheries in Norway.

Shetland Wildlife posted that the act was “abhorrent and unforgivable on every level”.

The Norwegian director general Frank Bakke-Jensen said: “We have considered all possible solutions carefully.

“We concluded that we could not ensure the animals welfare through any means available.”