Following warnings to the public to stay away from Freya the Walrus or else she might end up being put down, Norway's Directorate of Fisheries on Sunday announced sad news: the animal was euthanized because people failed to listen to the warnings.
"People went too close to the animal, some lifted up their children to take selfies. There were also cases where kids threw stones and sticks at her. The situation was unclear," fisheries director Frank Bakke-Jensen told VG.
The difficult decision was made "on the base of a global evaluation of the persistent threat to human security," as it was difficult to move the walrus, according to an official statement from the Fisheries Directorate.
Before putting Freya down, officials repeatedly warned the public to stay away from the walrus, who clearly got too comfortable around humans - and especially their boats. Freya conquered hearts and went viral, so when she made a stop in Oslo, she immediately drew crowds of fans wanting to take a selfie.
This was what prompted the tragic ending. However, the story might not be over yet, as the warnings Freya could be euthanized drew a lot of criticism, with people pledging "outrage" if the authorities decided to kill Freya.
Now that the animal has been put down, social media users are taking to Twitter to mourn the loss and slam the Norwegian authorities for allowing things to end that way.