Since mid-July, the internet has grown to love Freya the 1,300-pound walrus, who went viral after clips surfaced of her sunbathing on small boats, sinking them in the process.
However, on Sunday, the Norwegian government announced that it had killed her. The Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries argued that Freya needed to be euthanized due to the risks she posed to the crowds that gathered to watch and take photos of her. The agency also cited vague animal welfare concerns. "The walrus is not getting enough rest and the professionals we are in dialogue with believe she is stressed," Nadia Jdaini, a senior communications adviser for the Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries, said in a statement to NBC News.
