Stressed 'celebrity' walrus to be put down unless gawping fans leave her alone

A “stressed” celebrity walrus will be put down unless crowds of gawping fans stop gathering to take photographs of the marine mammal.

The tusked star shot to fame in Norway after sunbathing in an Oslo fjord and winning adulation on social media for her habit of heaving her 1,300 pound body into nearby boats.

Smitten Norwegians have named her Freya after the Norse goddess of love, battle, sex and death, but her fame could now carry a deadly downside.

Freya’s adoring public has continually ignored guidance from the authorities to give her a wide berth.

Instead mobs have crowded near the beast, who first appeared in the Norwegian capital waters last month, to watch and film her on their smartphones.

The Fisheries Directorate has warned it is considering euthanising Freya because she is getting stressed by the attention and could even lash out at her fans.

“The public’s reckless behaviour and failure to follow authorities’ recommendations could put lives in danger,” said Nadia Jdaini, a spokesperson for the fisheries agency, said.

Walruses are typically slow to anger but the endangered species, which normally lives in the Arctic, can attack people if they feel threatened.

Ms Jdaini added: “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. We are now exploring other measures, and euthanasia may be a real alternative.”

A walrus, which lives on fish, shellfish and molluscs, needs long naps and can sleep up to 20 hours a day.

When she hasn’t been dozing, Freya has been filmed chasing a duck, attacking a swan and sinking boats under her massive bulk in very popular videos posted on the internet.

Freya fans on social media urged people to finally listen to the authorities and save the blubbery beast’s life.

In November last year, a walrus described as “the size of a fridge” was spotted relaxing off on England’s north-eastern coast in Seahorses Harbour.