The walrus Freya became the whole of Norway’s favorite when she took over boat harbors and bathing spots in South-Eastern Norway this summer. When the Directorate of Fisheries took the decision to cull the walrus, it boiled over for many. Animal lovers from all over the world showed their disgust. Director of Fisheries Frank Bakke-Jensen was subjected to massive incitement, and many demanded answers as to why Freya had to take her life. A fundraising campaign was even started to create a statue of the walrus. We will come back to exactly that. – Awakens the reward center – Cute animals very easily capture our attention and evoke positive emotions in us. These are feelings we would like to experience again and again, and preferably together with others. Research fellow Kamilla Knutsen Steinnes at Oslo Met says so. She has written a master’s thesis in psychology about our relationship with animals and the strong feelings that are evoked in us. Researcher Kamilla Knutsen Steinnes has written a master’s thesis about our relationship with cute animals. Photo: Sonja Balci / OsloMet Steinnes believes we are pre-programmed to show care for cute animals. – Neuroscientific research shows that cute animals awaken the reward center in the brain. We are programmed to have positive feelings towards these animals. – What determines whether we think animals are cute or not? – Animals that are perceived as cute have large round eyes, a large round face, soft skin or fur, a small nose, a head that is large in relation to the body and clumsy movements, says Steinnes. So not unlike a small child. Evolution has led us to automatically feel care for cute animals like these puppies. Photo: Øyvind Sandnes / news Behaving like us Steinnes believes it is evolutionarily logical for us to show care for these animals. – Mammals depend on attention and care from others to survive. Therefore, evolution has made sure that we keep these cute traits until we are big enough to fend for ourselves. Frogs and amphibians are not seen as cute. They manage themselves from birth, says Steinnes. If animals also do human actions, the caring gene is brought to life in many. – Freya jumped into boats and lay down in the heat of the sun. It is something we humans also do, and it may have made many people feel a bond with the walrus. When animals are humanized, we experience them as even sweeter, says Steinnes. Freya took it easy in the summer sun. Here she is sunbathing on the bathing platform of a boat. Photo: Joshua V. Jaunsen / Tipser – Not driven by emotions Erik Holm is the man behind the fundraising campaign to create a statue of Freya. He was embarrassed when he saw how people behaved when faced with the marine mammal, and he reacted strongly to the decision to cull it. Then he sat down in front of the keyboard. – I was almost a little surprised myself by how engaged I became in this, says the initiator. Holm nevertheless claims that he is not driven by feelings for Freya. – It is of course sad that Freya was killed, but that is not the big issue here. Freya has become a symbol of our interaction with animals and nature. When we first get a visit from a walrus, the first thing we do is shoot it. We have to learn to live with wild animals, says Holm. Erik Holm started fundraising at Spleis to make a statue of Freya. Photo: private He does not buy the reasoning that Freya had to be euthanized because she was a danger to bathers. – When Freya was shot, there were only days left in the swimming season. The Directorate of Fisheries made a cowardly decision without the people’s support, claims Holm. If everything goes according to plan, the statue could become a reality already in a couple of months. – We have reached the goal for the collection, and a sculptor has already started work, says Holm. Giving names to the animals In the Bjørneparken in Flå we find Kees Ekeli. He is park director and biologist, and works closely with both bears, moose, goats and crocodiles. – We give names to almost all our animals. Mostly because it makes it easier for everyone who works here, but also because the animals have such different personalities, says Ekeli. All the bears in the Bear Park in Flå have been given their own name. Photo: Caroline Utti / news – Isn’t that a form of humanizing the animals? – I don’t really like that word. As a biologist, I don’t think there is that big a difference between animals and humans. Our animals have different behaviour, characteristics and personality, says Ekeli. – You also have crocodiles in the park, which have not been named. Why not? Kees Ekeli is director of Bjørneparken in Flå. Photo: Leif Rune Løland – We do not have such a close relationship with the reptiles. It is probably mostly about the behavior of mammals being recognizable to us. When you see two fox cubs playing, you are able to see the resemblance of two boys in kindergarten playing together. Warm-blooded animals do not behave like us. If you have a heart that beats for animals, you can probably take it as a compliment. People who have strong feelings for animals are more empathetic, according to researcher Kamilla Knutsen Steinnes. – This is linked to personality. Those who score high on empathy tend to react more strongly when they see cute animals, she says.
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You are programmed to love Freya
