Wandering walrus spotted in Iceland

Location: Hofn, Iceland

This is Wally (arrow)

The wandering celebrity walrus has been spotted in Iceland

almost 600 miles from his last known location

He was previously seen 22 days ago in West Cork, Ireland

Some were concerned for his safety

(SOUNDBITE) (English) EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF SEAL RESCUE IRELAND, MELANIE CROCE, SAYING: “There are less than 22,000 Atlantic walruses left in the world, and their numbers almost completely crashed in the last century due to hunting. It wasn’t until legislation protected them that their numbers started to recover, but now they’ve got the additional pressures of climate change, so Arctic species such as walruses, polar bears and many species of seals rely on sea ice as their habitat. So as sea ice is disappearing due to climate change, they’re losing habitat. So, we can expect to see more and more of these Arctic species becoming vagrants and becoming displaced from their natural habitats, and having to explore a new range. So we should definitely make sure to keep these animals safe when they seek refuge on our shores, and do whatever we can to avoid harassing or stressing them.”

Seal Rescue Ireland had identified Wally after comparing pictures

with other seal rescue centers in Britain and Europe