Norwegian wildlife officials made a hard decision to euthanize the walrus named "Freya" after onlookers ignored safety warnings. RELATED: This new walrus friendship could help save the species https://bit.ly/3A1lELb Norway's popular attraction, Freya the walrus, was euthanized for safety reasons early Sunday, authorities in Norway said. The decision comes after the country's Directorate of Fisheries warned Freya could be put down on Thursday because people were getting too close to the animal and throwing objects at it. “Through on-site observations the past week it was made clear that the public has disregarded the current recommendation to keep a clear distance to the walrus,” it said. “Therefore, the Directorate has concluded, the possibility for potential harm to people was high and animal welfare was not being maintained.” The 1,300-pound female walrus became an icon – capturing hearts (and making some mariner enemies) for sunbathing and chowing down on nearby boats, at times sinking them. » Subscribe to USA TODAY: http://bit.ly/1xa3XAh » Watch more on this and other topics from USA TODAY: https://bit.ly/3QJOXJ1 » USA TODAY delivers current local and national news, sports, entertainment, finance, technology, and more through award-winning journalism, photos, videos and VR. #Freya #Walrus #Norway