Neil the seal’s celebrity status putting him at risk, authorities warn

It’s a cold winter’s night near a beach in Tasmania’s south as a strange looking creature balances its bulging body on top of a wooden fence.

“Naughty boy,” someone can be heard saying in the background.

Suddenly there’s a crash as 1,000 kilograms of blubber crush the barrier separating the determined beast from its favourite snoozing spot.

“You got it, Neil,” a person calls out as the animal galumphs towards the camera.

It’s one of many viral moments on social media that have turned “Neil”, a five-year-old elephant seal, into one of Tasmania’s biggest celebrities.

“He’s always been a bit of an icon,” said Dale Creamer, who has been live streaming videos of Neil on his TikTok and Instagram accounts.

Elephant seals usually congregate in their thousands on remote islands in the Southern Ocean.

But each year, about a dozen end up on the shores of Tasmania.

Neil was born on the Tasman Peninsula in 2020 and has been returning to the same region twice a year ever since, coming back bigger each time.

Most elephant seals return to where they were born, and spend time on land to rest, moult and feed.

His cute and sometimes mischievous behaviour, including chewing traffic cones and leaning on cars, has won him admirers far and wide.

One video, showing Neil knocking over bollards near the street corner where he currently likes to sleep, has attracted more than 15 million views on the @mangoesandcreamlive Instagram account.

“I think people can relate to him,” Mr Creamer said.

Warning issued as Neil attracts crowds

But authorities are concerned that Neil’s popularity could become problematic.

Since his recent return to Tasmania, onlookers have been gathering at his coastal location each day.

Tasmania’s Department of Natural Resources and Environment said some people are failing to heed warnings to stay at least 20 metres away.

“Certainly, over the last week, there have been hundreds of people in attendance and possibly thousands visiting over the course of a day,” wildlife biologist Sam Thamman from the department’s Marine Conservation Program told 936 ABC Hobart.

“So there’s a lot of attention.

“And sometimes there’s some unwarranted attention towards Neil and some behaviours that we try to discourage.”

Mr Thamman said there had been reports of some people taking selfies within a few metres of the Neil, and occasions where children and dogs have got too close.

“This is really poor behaviour,” he said.

If Neil were in a colony, the 1000-kilogram seal would normally be play-fighting with other seals.

Mr Thamman said there was a real risk of injury if Neil were to behave in a similar way in a public space.

When large wild animals have caused concerns overseas, authorities have sometimes taken drastic action to ensure public safety.

One notable example was a 600-kilogram walrus called Freya, who was euthanised by Norwegian authorities in 2022.

“There’s Freya, the walrus, and many other circumstances in the northern hemisphere where such large, powerful animals have not been tolerated by society and they have been euthanised,” Mr Thamman said.

“Now, I’ll make it very clear that that is not our management approach, but we need the help of society.

“We need the help of members of the public to appreciate Neil, but not feel the desire to be in his face, not feel the desire to need to have a selfie with him, to appreciate him for what he is and where he is and know that he exists without the desire to be there in front of him.”

Premier reiterates safety message

Premier Jeremy Rockliff acknowledged the popularity of Neil, but said safety was paramount.

“He has a lot of social media activity when it comes to Neil the seal,” Mr Rockliff said.

“It’s certainly sparked the attention and imagination of many people both in Tasmania and abroad.

“[But] we need to be very mindful of Neil the seal and keep a very close watch with respect to the proximity of Neil.

In addition to staying more than 20 metres away from Neil, authorities say dogs should always be leashed and at least 50 metres from the seal.

They also say people should not engage with Neil or try to get his attention.

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