One of the walruses gained fame in Europe after being on boats in several countries on the continent, taking advantage of their residence to take a nap, ride boats and tour the region.
The animal, who has come to be known as Wally, made its last appearance on Monday (9), on a boat from a distillery in the village of Clonakilty in Ireland.
In addition to visiting Ireland, the walrus has already “travelled” through regions in France, Spain and the UK, according to The Independent. The animal was seen visiting a ship for the first time on the island of Valentia, also in Irish territory, in March of that year.
The boat that received the walruses earlier this week belonged to a company that sells liquor, Destilaria Clonakilty, which took the opportunity to taunt the situation.
“Fortunately, there was no harm. We think she traveled all that way just to try the gin and tonic!” , the producer joked on social media.
However, the animal’s unusual presence may have had a sad motive behind the scenes. This is because Wally is believed to have been born in Svalbard, northern Norway. Scientists say the mammals may have grown in a block of ice and got lost.
Padride Woolley of the Irish group of dolphins and whales suspects the way the animal got to Ireland because of a white spot under its left fin. It took the opportunity to alert the population.
“Although these pictures are funny, there is a dangerous side to this, as this animal is so far from home and we have no way of knowing if it is stressed and how it can respond to stressful situations,” Woolley said in an interview. With RTE Radio.
“Therefore, we ask that everyone who wishes to see this rare visitor in the Arctic respect their space, it is important to know the other side of this loop without harming people or animals – although we cannot guarantee that it will not capsize a boat,” he said.
