Freya the walrus put down after Norway officials warned of people getting too close

Norway's popular attraction, Freya the walrus, was euthanized for safety reasons early Sunday, authorities in Norway said.

The decision comes after the country's Directorate of Fisheries warned Freya could be put down on Thursday because people were getting too close to the animal and throwing objects at it.

“Through on-site observations the past week it was made clear that the public has disregarded the current recommendation to keep a clear distance to the walrus,” it said. “Therefore, the Directorate has concluded, the possibility for potential harm to people was high and animal welfare was not being maintained.”

The 1,300-pound female walrus became  an icon – capturing hearts (and making some mariner enemies) for sunbathing and chowing down on nearby boats, at times sinking them.

In addition to Norway, Freya has made appearances to the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Denmark and Sweden in recent years.

With the help of viral social media posts, the friendly walrus garnered fame worldwide. Flocks of fans came to see Freya during her time on Norway's Oslofjord this summer.

Meet Freya: 1,300-pound walrus capturing hearts, sinking boats and irking mariners 

According to the government agency, the public went to the water's edge to pose for photos, sometimes trying to bathe with Freya, and throwing objects at her – failing to follow authorities' recommendations and, most importantly, endangering the health of the marine animal.

In addition to Freya's well-being, this behavior can put people in danger, senior communications advisor in the Directorate of Fisheries Nadia Jdaini explained in the Thursday statement.