The Killing of Walrus Freya

[Don C L]

We have a lot of sea lions, big males too, who routinely use the marina's walkways and slips to haul out on. Folks generally ignore them or stay away from them or squirt them with water to chase them away. If we only had one big male and folks had never seen a sea lion, he'd probably become a celebrity too. And then he'd attract too much attention. I agree with AKA-none. If folks had stayed away that walrus would have been spared.

[Sailing55]

AKA none and DonCL, you guys are right of course, but you are simply stating the obvious, it most certainly is the fault of people.
But that is what I have a problem with...animals are being killed because of the idiotic actions of morons and their offspring. Which, of course, means the little fools will grow up to be as intellectually challenged as their parents.
Self defence I can understand, but preemptive killing?
Asking people to assess risk and act accordingly is a lot to ask apparently.
Doesn't say much for us as a species does it?

[thesaltytar]

I disagree with placing blame on the people. The people didn't kill the walrus any more than a person "makes" someone else hit or abuse them.

Here's a picture of the dock in Kodiak - it floats all on its own so the sea lions can be left alone. If this marina is on a regularly visited route it might be an option.

Otherwise put up signs and risk waivers. Relocate the animal. Fairly warn everyone involved. If you still want to walk up and pet the wild animal there should be fines and penalties or let nature take its course because we should all be responsible adults. Now if the Freya is sat on my boat smoking a pipe we might have some issues.

It's strictly non-smoking onboard.

[Tetepare]

Originally Posted by AKA-None

done directly because stupid people did stupid things and got to close even when they were told not to. And because they brought their children in close proximity they directly caused this outcome

So Norway does stupid things to protect stupid people. Sounds like USA. I cannot fathom why governments insist on interfering with the Darwin Award.

[Mike OReilly]

Sounds like the standard situation of a wild animal becoming habituated to humans, usually encouraged by stupid people. Eventually this leads to conflict, so officials usually take the easy option and kill the animal.

No different than idiots feeding bears, coyotes or even squirrels. It’s usually a death sentence for the animal. Leave them alone!

[flightlead404]

Originally Posted by Sailing55

Answer the question, please. How does one kill "humanely"? How could any rational person accept the act of killing to be humane unless it is to end horrific suffering.

Well I certainly hope "civilization" will have moved on and allow me to be humanely killed before I get to the state of my poor mother who has begged for death daily for the last 2 years.

Sometimes, not necessarily saying in this case, death can be a humane release.

[Tetepare]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

Sounds like the standard situation of a wild animal becoming habituated to humans, usually encouraged by stupid people. Eventually this leads to conflict, so officials usually take the easy option and kill the animal.

No different than idiots feeding bears, coyotes or even squirrels. It’s usually a death sentence for the animal. Leave them alone!

You're Canadian and forgot my all time favorite! Elk! I'm not big on fall, since it means winter is coming, but I absolutely look forward to the news from Colorado and Alberta involving stupid humans that play with bull Elk.

[Sailing55]

Originally Posted by flightlead404

Well I certainly hope "civilization" will have moved on and allow me to be humanely killed before I get to the state of my poor mother who has begged for death daily for the last 2 years.

Sometimes, not necessarily saying in this case, death can be a humane release.

Agreed Flightlead, but this case is the topic. From what I understand poor Freya was not suffering in any way...other than being unfortunate enough to be in contact with the most violent and destructive species on earth.

[JPA Cate]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

Sounds like the standard situation of a wild animal becoming habituated to humans, usually encouraged by stupid people. Eventually this leads to conflict, so officials usually take the easy option and kill the animal.

No different than idiots feeding bears, coyotes or even squirrels. It’s usually a death sentence for the animal. Leave them alone!

Fed game = dead game. Sad but true. Especially with bears.

"Humanely killing" usually consists of use of a tranquilizer dart, followed by a barbiturate injection. Less painful than a heart attack.

Ann

[Manateeman]

There was no “conflict “. None whatsoever. The behavior of a young female walrus cannot be described in the same terms as bears, wolves, elk, wolverines, wild dogs...walruses run away...well sort of flop away. Even in large groups, flight not fight is their defense mechanism.
The Government Fisheries people knew this.
That is why marine mammal scientists are so upset. Freya has tusks but she was a female and people are not ice bears. Female walruses stampede into the water when they see a threat. The big males might stand to fight but not the females.
No one was in “danger” including the children unless a people stampede took place. Walruses sleep, eat on the bottom, come up and sleep again. 20 hours a day. That’s about it.
House cats are a greater danger to children. Walruses are big, fat and have tusks.
Having tusks is not a sufficient reason to kill them. Cats have claws.
You don’t see cops shooting them ...that cat looked aggressive when it looked at me so I called a cop but they didn’t come fast enough so I had to shoot it.
Please stop with the it’s sometimes necessary to put down an animal arguments.
Toothed whales will attack if provoked . Walruses are not toothed whales.
Next some idiot will shoot a manatee.
“ It was pointing a bazooka at me”
The manatee crew has painted the end of the pizza bazooka orange.
Mark

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by Tetepare

You're Canadian and forgot my all time favorite! Elk! I'm not big on fall, since it means winter is coming, but I absolutely look forward to the news from Colorado and Alberta involving stupid humans that play with bull Elk.

Yes… always a few elk stories each year out west. Could add fox, or even deer. People think it’s cute to see them eating our food. Just don’t. It’s a death sentence.

The inadvertent feeding is almost as bad. Cover your garbage, and don’t leave crap out. All animals (including humans) will go for the easy food first. But the more an animal becomes habituated to humans, the more it is likely to cause unthinking people to become concerned. And then we get a Freya situation…

[kram45]

Times are scary nowadays, different opinions and ideologies from different quarters. I hope it doesn’t get to the point where we think it is okay to kill a living being.

[Grattaway]

Manateeman I hear the manatee's are having a tough time in the USA and specifically in Florida

Are they thriving or struggling to survive now

W

[CSY Man]

Freya was killed by a rifle shot, probably more "humane" than a harpoon.
She was killed because she chased kids swimming in the harbor.

[Manateeman]

I’m sorry but I’d like to stick to walrus. Save the manatee.org has all the info you need. West coast manatees are holding, east coast, it’s a habitat issue.
Back to walruses.
So what do you call a group of walruses?
Well for a long time they were called a herd or a pod. But that didn’t really fit their behavior. So marine mammal scientists now use the term HUDDLE.
We can learn a lot from the walrus huddle because huddling has numerous advantages and a walrus huddle is something worth talking to children about.
Bees huddle. Penguins have a complex huddle. Even cells in our body huddle Let’s begin with basics.
It’s a strategy to maximize survival ( usually heat) but it has social advantages as well. Communications is one. As with sports, you want all your team to understand the call but not the opposition. With cells, it’s where they communicate the plan, the next step in which they will work together.
In bees, it’s heat...keep the queen warm. Penguins use a fluid huddle so no one is stuck on the outside in the wind. You get to warm up. The science of the fluid movement in penguin huddles is amazing.
A walrus huddle almost doubles the temperature retention vs a single walrus.
It was a warning function as well. Since they sleep 20 hours a day, it’s an advantage to have someone awake to spot ice bears who are really well designed for the sneak up attack. The huddle is a mechanism of very quick communication.
One walrus spots an ice bear an in seconds, everybody is in the sea where the advantage the bear had on ice is lost to the walrus in the water. So a social behavior becomes a evolutionary advantage, a survival advantage.
There are films of ice bears who manage to get a grip on the back of a walrus and then the walrus gets into the sea and the bear looses as team walrus attacks in their element.
There is no question walruses have killed humans. When attacked. Stories, carvings and art of native people hunting walrus in kayaks prove this without a doubt. Elders taught children to respect the power of walrus. But isn’t there a greater lesson to be learned from the walrus?
Huddling gave the walrus an ability to adapt to a brutally cold environment. Huddling improved their chances against attack.
The core of the huddle is communications between individuals and that is a very good lesson for us to teach to children. We can learn a lot from the walrus.
Captain Mark and the manatee crew.