Nature Ramble

Sometimes Mother Nature likes to fool us.

 

Things are not always where they should be, and it takes us by surprise; as in the case of this wayward walrus.

Walrus basks in Orkney attention

The creature was said to be enjoying the attention it was receiving

A walrus has turned up on a small Scottish island in what has been described as a “once-in-a-lifetime” event.

The animal, thought to be a young male, was spotted on the shoreline of North Ronaldsay in Orkney.

It appeared to be in good health and happy to be the centre of attention.

Wildlife experts said it was extremely unusual for a walrus to be spotted so far south of the North Pole and Arctic Ocean.

The animal was first discovered on Sunday morning by Mark Warren, an assistant warden at the North Ronaldsay Bird Observatory.

He told the BBC Scotland news website: “I was walking along the beach looking for birds, basically. At first I thought it was a dead whale so I threw a stone at it and it woke up.

“It does seem to be in OK health and certainly has plenty of battle scars which suggests it has been in a few scraps. A few people have suggested it might be quite a young one because its tusks aren’t as big as some you see.

“You do get seals and sometimes killer whales around here, which people come and have a look at, but never a walrus”.

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