Walrus watching draws crowds to Scarborough on New Year’s Eve | Yorkshire

[ad_1]

A wandering walrus has delighted locals and tourists after it appeared in a North Yorkshire seaside town.

The marine mammals arrived in Scarborough on Friday night and drew huge crowds to the port on New Year’s Eve.

The arctic walrus is believed to be a bull – the same animal that was spotted on the Hampshire coast earlier this month.

Local wildlife experts have asked people not to disturb the creature, saying it appears to be “taking a break” in Scarborough and will advance in a few days once it has rested enough to continue its journey north.

It is believed to be the first time a walrus has been spotted in Yorkshire, and a collar has been placed around it to prevent excited crowds from getting too close.

The arctic mammal is believed to be a bull, an adolescent male first seen off the coast of Hampshire earlier this year. Photo: Ian Forsyth/Getty Images

Resident Richard Coulson, 51, told the PA news agency: “I live close to where it really is and traffic is up and down our way – it’s like a summer’s day, it’s really buzzing with cars and people. It’s amazing how much attention it’s brought in.”

“It was well protected – it was cordoned off so you couldn’t get within 20 feet of it.

“It’s the first time I’ve ever seen one. It’s huge. We see seals quite regularly around the Scarborough coast but something this big, it’s huge.

“You respect nature when you see something this big. Its fangs are bigger than my arm.”

“I would go down to my boat and he was right there on the ramp—wow. It must be a ton,” Stuart Ford, who runs boat tour agency Sealife Safari, told PA.

“I think it’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing, and for the first time ever in Scarborough.”

Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you through the top stories and what they mean, for free every morning of the week

Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertisements, and content funded by third parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Sea Life Scarborough Aquarium said its animal welfare team has been monitoring the condition of the walruses, along with the RSPCA and British Divers Marine Life Rescue.

Sea Life Scarborough Aquarium said its animal care team has been monitoring the walrus’ condition. Photo: Ian Forsyth/Getty Images

On social media, they wrote: “Please don’t worry – he’s looking good taking a break after his long adventure!

“Please respect his comfort and try not to disturb him. Although it is a very exciting opportunity for us, they naturally don’t like a lot of noise and are not very familiar with pets, so please keep pets on leads and stay at a safe distance for your and his welfare.

“Hopefully in a few days he will get enough rest to move on and continue his adventures north!”

[ad_2]