A walrus was spotted in northern France, some thousands of miles from its Arctic circle habitat.
This sea creature, which is often found in Greenland or Russia, was seen in Normandy at the port of Dieppe on Friday evening.
Officials in Normandy posted a photo of the animal resting on shore. It did not seem to be in any serious condition.
To protect the walrus from harm, the authorities established a safety zone. The port captain sighted it and a notice was posted warning people to not interact with the mammal.
It was last seen in the water on Saturday morning at 10.30 am local time.
According to the Prefecture of Normandy & Seine-Maritime, “A walrus was seen at the port of Dieppe on Friday 18 November by the captain of port.
“A safety perimeter was established… and a notice was sent to navigation users to prevent any interaction with the mammal before its departure.”
Walruses will often leave the ocean to rest before returning to water.
The animals can be dangerously aggressive and fearful if they are afraid.
Officials from PELAGIS observatory (a centre for marine biodiversity research) continued to monitor the animal today.
This is the second appearance of a walrus in Europe this week. One was captured in the Zeeland area of the Netherlands, for the first time since 45 years.
If the sighting was the same animal as in Dieppe, it has not been confirmed.
Another juvenile Walrus was observed on the Pembrokeshire coast in Wales last March.
It is believed that it is the same animal that washed up in Valentia Island, western Ireland.
This rare sighting is believed by be the first time that the RSPCA was called to check on a Walrus since its establishment more than 100 years ago.
After refusing to eat, a beluga-whale became a riverside resident in August.
Despite an extraordinary rescue effort, authorities had to kill the animal.
After becoming “very distressed” after being stranded in River Thames, a minke whale young was taken three months prior.
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