A 3,300-pound walrus at Xixiakou Wildlife Park in Shandong Province in China drowned by accident two people. The victims were a male visitor from Liaoning and the longtime trainer of the animal. The two died because the walrus hugged them tightly and drowned them.
The New York Post reported that the Liaoning man fell into the walrus pool after he lost his footing. The trainer then jumped into the water to save the tourist, but the walrus hugged its arms tightly around the two men and dove underwater.
According to wildlife park authorities, there is no evidence that the walrus attacked the two; rather, it appeared to be trying to get its trainer, Duan, to play, reported Shanghai Daily. Other park employees tried to save the two men by using bamboo poles to drive away the animal. However, by the time the two men were pulled up, they were already dead due to drowning.
Duan was the walrus’s trainer and carer for over 10 years. Xiaxiakou Wildlife staff said the walrus has a mild temper, but loves to play much with people.
The story become viral in Weibo, China’s most popular microblogging site. Around 250,000 Weibo users have read and commented on the story. Some of the netizens pointed to the lack of a banister to prevent tourists from falling into the walrus pool. The wildlife park remains open to tourists despite the tragedy.