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Neil returns to Tasmania
Australian officials are asking fans to respect the privacy of Neil, a 1,000 kg (2,200 pound) elephant seal, after the five-year-old mammal hauled himself onto land for his twice-yearly tour of beachside towns in southern Tasmania in June.
“Australian officials ask fans to respect the privacy of Neil, a 1-ton seal who respects nothing Australian officials ask fans to respect the privacy of Neil, a 1-ton seal who respects nothing WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Like plenty of local boys before him, Neil has come home to the stretch of Australian coast where he was born”
The Associated Press says Neil’s rampage through local infrastructure has claimed bent traffic bollards, a sign warning the public about seals, and a fence that did not survive Neil’s attempt to vault it.
The AP also reports that Neil’s social media following is 1.4 million and that his 12th visit to shore has included picking fights with parked cars and smashing through barriers erected to keep him off roads.
Officials say their biggest concern is that Neil’s popularity could lead to ill-advised human-seal encounters that are dangerous for both sides, even as the seal lies placidly in places that can bring towns he visits to a standstill.
Privacy plea and risks
At a news conference in Hobart on Thursday, Kris Carlyon from Tasmania’s Department of Natural Resources and Environment said, "Neil’s fame is a bit of a double-edged sword," as officials asked the seal’s fans to give him privacy.
Carlyon told reporters, "We have had some pretty silly behavior, instances with people carrying their small babies up close to him and simply trying to get that shot for Instagram," describing the behavior officials want to stop.
The AP says officials have urged the public to refrain from identifying the town Neil is currently delighting or terrorizing, depending on who you speak to.
Officials fear a disastrous encounter between the seal and an admirer could force rangers into a risky operation to move him elsewhere, and Carlyon warned of worse after a 2023 episode in Norway involving a walrus known as Freya that was euthanized.
Science of dominance and fallout
Sophia Volzke, an elephant seal scientist based at the University of Tasmania in Hobart, said juvenile male elephant seals need to practice for dominance battles in which adults rear up and crash their chests together as they compete for breeding opportunities.
“Neil, the only male elephant seal to visit Tasmania in years, has commanded an enthralled TikTok following of 1”
The AP reports that with no other juveniles to practice with, Neil can only rehearse on Toyotas, and it frames his behavior as normal experimentation for a growing seal.
Volzke said, "Humans got rid of those animals and now maybe they are coming back and repopulating areas that they were previously seen in," while adding, "We do need to find a way to coexist."
The AP adds that if Neil survives to adulthood he could measure up to 5 meters (16 feet) in length and weigh triple what he does now, but Volzke said about 90% of male elephant seals die before they reach a breeding age of around 10.
