When a 1,300-pound walrus showed up in Oslo last summer, lounging on piers and eating mussels, she became a beloved local delight and an overnight international media sensation. The walrus, a rare guest for Norway’s capital, was named Freya, after the Norse goddess of love, beauty and war — all of which she inspired to varying degrees. Freya spent time in highly populated areas, where some people ignored warnings from officials to keep their distance, and would help herself onto boats, some of which she threatened to sink because of her weight. Norwegian authorities declared Freya a threat to human safety last August and killed her in a move that critics argued was too hasty. Her death divided a country that is associated with diplomacy and a love of nature.

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