Wildlife officers have warned individuals to present Neil the seal area throughout his go to to Tasmania, saying some have gone as far as to carry their human infants near the 1,000kg large for a photograph.
Neil, a southern elephant seal, was born in Tasmania in October 2020, however his existence is an anomaly: most of his type reside hundreds of kilometres south on the subantarctic Macquarie and Heard islands. Elephant seals return a number of instances a yr to the realm the place they have been born to moult, breed – or in Neil’s case, relaxation and learn to play battle.
“Neil was born in Tasmania, close to Hobart, and he thinks that’s the place house is as a result of he doesn’t know the place Macquarie Island is,” Dr Clive McMahon, an elephant seal professional, informed the Guardian this week. “And he doesn’t have a map.”
Dr Kris Carlyon, the part head for wildlife well being at Tasmania’s division of pure sources, stated whereas he understood the widespread curiosity within the mammal, there was an actual threat of the general public “primarily loving Neil to demise”.
“Now we have seen examples around the globe the place giant, doubtlessly harmful animals have needed to be euthanised if there may be dangerous behaviour by the general public, leading to an unmanageable security concern,” Carlyon stated on Thursday morning.
“He can look cute, cuddly [and] placid, however he’s a big marine predator – and we actually wouldn’t be approaching issues like polar bears [and] bison in different elements of the world.”
Neil has returned to southern Tasmania 12 instances to date. However his dimension this yr, and his propensity to sleep in the course of the street and assault bollards together with his bulk has precipitated a stir. He might in the end develop to be 3,500kg and about 4.5 metres lengthy.
Carlyon urged the general public to let Neil relaxation whereas he’s on land for about six weeks after a busy feeding interval within the Southern Ocean. Some individuals have tried to depart meals for Neil, however he doesn’t want meals and received’t feed even when they fight.
“Neil’s fame is a little bit of a double-edged sword,” Carlyon stated. “Proper now the eye Neil will get helps with consciousness of our threatened species, helps together with his safety in some methods. However it additionally encourages maybe dangerous human behaviour, individuals making an attempt to get selfies with Neil, individuals making an attempt get that little bit nearer for that good photograph.”
He stated there have already been situations of individuals “carrying their small infants up near him and easily making an attempt to get that shot for Instagram”.
The warning elicits reminders of Freya the walrus, who was euthanised in Norway in 2022 after she introduced a “persistent menace to human safety”. Officers stated on the time their warnings for the general public to maintain their distance from the animal weren’t heeded.
Carlyon stated wildlife officers have the choice of relocating Neil if the scenario grew dire, but it surely was a dangerous choice of final resort.
Dr Jane Youthful, a seal professional on the College of Tasmania, stated Neil is already sufficiently big to hurt an individual.
“He’s already at a dimension now the place he’s harmful,” she stated. “Even when he’s not in an aggressive temper, he might simply kill an individual. They’ve a giant mouth, large enamel, you can get very severely injured.”
Carlyon careworn that if individuals respect Neil, he received’t thoughts them both. He urged residents to remain at the very least 20 metres away from him – 50 metres for canine – and to not get between the seal and the water.
“Neil’s not inherently aggressive within the sense that another animals is perhaps,” he stated.
“He’ll actually defend his area, and if he feels threatened he could lash out. So actually it’s about that proximity and staying away.”
This article by Nick Visser was first revealed by The Guardian on 2 July 2026. Lead Picture: Neil the seal wreaks lovely havoc in southern Tasmania – video.
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