A beloved walrus who won the hearts of people in Norway has been put down due to a "threat to human safety".
Freya - a young 1,300 pound female walrus - became a popular character in the Scandinavian country after climbing into boats and getting close to tourists.
However, despite people being urged to keep their distance from Freya, people continued to flock to the Oslo fjord to find her.
Despite the recommendations, some onlookers have continued to approach her, sometimes with children in tow, to take photographs.
Because of this the Directorate made the decision to have her put to sleep due to the potential of an attack.
It's rare for walruses to attack humans, but they will if they feel threatened and if they were to do so it could result in serious injury.
On Friday, the Directorate warned: "The fact that the walrus has become an attraction escalates the need for further measures.
"Our biggest fear is that people could get hurt...
"We are now exploring other measures, and euthanasia may be a real alternative."
"Her health has clearly declined. The walrus is not getting enough rest and the experts we have consulted now suspect that the animal is stressed,' communications adviser in the Directorate of Fisheries, Nadia Jdaini added.
Fisheries director Frank Bakke-Jensen 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. We 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.
"The operation was conducted in a humane fashion."
While they don't normally attack people, they can if they feel threatened, according to authorities.
