In Scarbourough, nature is giving local residents a special New Year's gift this year. Walrus Thor uses the port of the small English town as a resting place on his way north. The animal protection authority asks not to get too close to the animal.
A walrus has attracted numerous onlookers to the harbor in Scarborough on the English North Sea coast. The British news agency PA reports that it is likely the same animal that visited the coast of southern England in early December. It was christened Thor.
Animal rights activists assume that the walrus is probably on its way north and is resting on the English coast. So it is doing well and should continue its journey soon. It is the first time a walrus has been sighted in the county of Yorkshire.
Officials from the local Sea Life Aquarium and the RSPCA cordoned off the area around the walrus and urged people to keep their distance. "While this is a very exciting event for us, walruses don't like noise and are not used to pets, so keep your animals on a leash and at a safe distance," warns RSPCA Inspector Geoff Edmond. They estimate that Thor tips the scales at least 500 kilograms.
If the population does not comply, Thor could face the same fate as his fellow Freya. The almost 600-kilogram walrus lady had made a name for herself as a destructive sun worshiper in Great Britain, the Netherlands, Denmark and Sweden. She was eventually killed in Oslo in August for security reasons after bystanders kept getting dangerously close to her for photos. Despite several warnings, some residents of the Norwegian capital are said to have jumped into the water at Freya. In some cases, children were also present, it said.
