A wandering Arctic walrus, who won the hearts of local residents and tourists, has been filmed returning to the sea in Scarborough.
The arrival on Saturday of the mammal, nicknamed Thor, to the North Yorkshire seaside town drew huge crowds keen to catch a glimpse of the creature.
In footage shown on the BBC on Sunday the creature can be seen inching towards the sea, plopping in and then swimming off, seemingly bringing an end to his Scarborough sojourn.
It is thought that Thor is the same walrus spotted on the Hampshire coast three weeks ago.
Wildlife experts have suggested that Thor had needed to rest before moving on to continue his journey north.
Chris Cook, from the British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) charity, said: “It is extremely rare that an Arctic walrus should come ashore on the Yorkshire coast.”
He added that the creature had needed “time to rest and recuperate before it continues its journey”.
Now it would seem that time has come.
After Thor’s arrival – believed to be the first time a walrus has been spotted in Yorkshire – a cordon was put in place to keep excited crowds from getting too close.
One local described the throng as reminiscent of the numbers they see during the height of the summer season.
Resident Richard Coulson, 51, told the PA news agency the area had been “teeming with cars and people” since Thor arrived at the harbour.
Such was Thor’s impact, Scarborough borough council decided to call off its New Year’s Eve fireworks display over fears it “could cause distress to the mammal”.
While council leader Steve Siddons had expressed disappointment, he added that “the welfare of the walrus has to take precedence”.
