The viral elephant seal returned to sea on July 9, but he’s expected to come back
It’s unusual to open your front door and see an elephant seal napping on your lawn — unless you live on Australia’s island state of Tasmania.
Neil the seal is a 1,000-kilogram southern elephant seal that visits the island twice every year to rest, fast and shed his fur.
He’s also known to wreak havoc during his visits.
Videos of him destroying city property and annoying residents on the island are going viral.
Watch this video to see CBC Kids News contributor Manny Brennan explain why Neil the seal is so destructive:
Why Neil the seal visits Tasmania twice every year
It’s normal for elephant seals to return to the place they were born.
In this part of the world, they’re usually born on small sub-Antarctic islands to the south of Tasmania.
But Neil is one of only nine known elephant seals born on the island, according to the Department of Natural Resources and Environment in Tasmania.
That means it’s rare for an elephant seal to venture where people in Tasmania live.
Neil was born in Salem Bay in 2020.
Since then, he’s made more than 10 visits to the island — much to the delight (and dismay) of local residents.
Officials are urging the public not to name the specific town he’s been frequenting to prevent people from disturbing him.
“We do need to find a way to coexist,” Sophia Volzke, an elephant seal scientist based at the University of Tasmania, told The Associated Press.
How Tasmanians are dealing with him
As a blubbery five-year-old mammal, Neil is expected to continue growing to more than 3,000 kilograms.
And he moves much faster than you might expect.
Officials say seals can be dangerous if approached and they may become habituated to people, which compromises their long-term survival.
That’s why officials in Tasmania are warning residents to give Neil some space.
“We have had some pretty silly behaviour, instances with people carrying their small babies up close to him and simply trying to get that shot for Instagram,” said Kris Carlyon, from Tasmania’s Department of Natural Resources and Environment, in an article published by The Associated Press.
The department says a disastrous encounter between the seal and a person could force officials into a risky operation to move him elsewhere.
“There is a risk here of essentially loving Neil to death,” Carlyon said.
Some residents have become accustomed to Neil’s antics.
“It’s Neil’s world and we’re just living in it,” said Dale Creamer, a local resident.
On July 9, Neil the seal returned to the sea. Residents expect him to visit again in a few months.
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With files from The Associated Press
TOP IMAGE CREDIT: Sam Volker Photography/The Associated Press