The Walrus has made it to Wales and is in reasonable health (Goo goo g'joob)
RSPCA checks on Arctic walrus spotted off south Wales coast: 'Animal ‘slightly underweight’ but seemed in generally good health and was probably looking for food': Ellie West, and RSPCA animal rescue officer, said: “It seems this Arctic walrus has swum over to Wales and was resting on rocks when I went to check on him. He was resting and, although appearing slightly underweight, thankfully he wasn’t displaying any signs of sickness or injury.
“This is an incredibly rare sighting and these big, beautiful animals never usually venture so far south. The juvenile walrus has likely travelled down this way in search of food.”
The walrus appeared to have a few scrapes but seemed in generally good condition and was seen to be swimming well.
Geoff Edmond, RSPCA national wildlife coordinator, said: “This was a landmark day for the RSPCA’s wildlife team. While we’ve been rescuing animals and responding to welfare calls for almost 200 years, I believe this is our first ever walrus call.”
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“I will certainly never forget this day, in fact it’s still sinking in that I’ve been monitoring a walrus on the Pembrokeshire coast, it’s been absolutely amazing.”
The famed Horniman Museum walrus was, alas, already dead, an ex-walrus, etc, when it reached the museum and the hands of taxidermists who had never before seen the like: The huge Horniman walrus sits rather uncomfortably atop a fibreglass iceberg. When you first encounter him he peers mournfully back at you. He seems stretched and over-stuffed and he lacks a walrus’s characteristic wrinkles and skin folds. It’s as if he’s had a few too many chai lattes or is the victim of a bizarre Botox accident.
It transpires that when in the late 1880s the Horniman walrus’s carcass was brought to Britain, the local taxidermists had never seen a live walrus. So they just speculated on its natural appearance. One can imagine the conversation: “Dave, this walrus here must have been a phenomenal beast. The boss is very excited about it. Any idea what it should look like?” “No, Pete, just fill him up as best you can. I’m sure that’ll be fine.”
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