The public has been told to keep their distance from a large walrus who appeared on a beach in Hampshire at the weekend.
The mammal, who has been nicknamed Thor, was spotted chilling at Calshot in the early hours of Saturday – more than 2,000 miles from his usual home in the Arctic Ocean.
The sight of the walrus lazing on the beach has already attracted crowds, but the British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR), which is monitoring Thor, is warning people to leave him alone and allow him to conserve his energy for his next big swim.
Coastguards have set up a cordon along the stretch of beach that Thor is lying on to keep intrigued visitors a safe distance away.
In a Facebook post, the BDMLR said: “Key advice is being issued to everyone to give the walrus a very wide berth to avoid disturbing it. They travel long distances and have rest stops to recover and regain energy before moving on again.”
Walruses are “bottom feeders”, eating a variety of razor clams, mussels and other shellfish found on the seabed.
The mammals, which can live for up to 40 years, are facing increased threats from climate change.
Thor is known to have visited the Netherlands and France in recent weeks. Walruses, who can live for 40 years, mostly live in the Arctic Circle.
