Dozens of walrus carcasses have washed up on beaches this summer, many missing their heads and ivory tusks. While rotting, headless carcasses are not uncommon along beaches in western Alaska in summer, the number of carcasses washing up in Norton Sound has prompted an investigation by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Federal authorities don't know if a crime has occurred, said Steve Oberholtzer, a special agent in Anchorage. But he said investigators are looking into two possibilities: either someone who is not Alaska Native is poaching walruses or Alaska Natives are not salvaging enough of the animals.