French authorities have confirmed the presence of a walrus in the port of Dieppe, in northern France, thousands of kilometers from Greenland, Alaska and other areas of the Arctic Ocean where the animal originates.
The walrus seems to have left the area this Saturday morning after being sighted on Friday at the entrance of the port by officials of the harbor master’s office, reports the Prefecture of Normandy and Seine-Maritime on social networks.
Following confirmation of the animal’s presence, a security perimeter was set up to prevent passers-by from approaching. The French Office for Biodiversity and the Observatory of Birds and Marine Mammals (PELAGIS) have not issued information on its health.
The walrus is a marine mammal that usually comes out of the water to rest before returning to the water with the help of the tides. However, being a protected species, with a fearful character and poor vision out of the water, this animal can be aggressive and pose a danger to those around it and to itself.
On Saturday morning, around 10.30 a.m., the animal dived into the water and since then its presence has not been observed in the port or its surroundings, so the security perimeter has been lifted.
The story of the Dieppe walrus is reminiscent of that of the killer whale lost in the Seine in May and of the beluga whale sighted in August also in the river that runs through Paris, both with a tragic end.
