Norwegian couple encounters walrus near Finland border

A Norwegian couple, Susanne Hætta and her fiancé, were mushroom‑foraging in the forest of Tana in Finnmark when they came upon a walrus lying motionless on the ground close to the Finnish border. The animal, which they photographed, showed no reaction to their presence, leading Hætta to comment that she initially thought it was dead.

Norwegian bird‑life expert Rune Aakert explained that walruses normally stay within a few metres of the sea, making such inland sightings unusual. He noted that the species’ population has grown, allowing individuals to travel farther inland, and that this expansion is not primarily driven by climate change. Aakert advised people not to approach or feed wild walruses. The report also referenced a similar event in 2019 when a “Stena” walrus was sighted on dry land in Kotka, Finland.