After Norwegian officials ordered the killing of a young walrus that had made a temporary home in Oslo’s fjord and harbor, there has been a wave of threats against the fisheries minister, and a campaign to honor the walrus with a memorial statue.
The 1,300-pound five-year-old walrus was killed 10 days ago on orders from Frank Bakke-Jensen, who said it was necessary because the walrus, which spent its time sleeping, often on boats and docks, and feeding might feel stressed and become dangerous because people ignored orders to stay away from it. The walrus, nicknamed Freya, had previously spent time in the UK, Sweden and the Netherlands before arriving in Oslo on July 17.
The decision was criticized by many, including wildlife experts, who believed that either people could be kept away, or that the walrus should have been sedated and relocated, an idea that Bakke-Jensen rejected as “too complex.”
A campaign to raise funds for a statue attracted thousands in donations almost right away. Organizers said that “by erecting a statue of the symbol that Freya has become in such a short time, we will remind ourselves (and generations to come) that we cannot and should not kill or erase nature when it is in our path.”
That peaceful message apparently did not resonate with some; Bakke-Jensen, and his wife who had nothing to do with the situation, have both received hundreds of threats, including death threats, by phone and in social media.
