Friday

Neil Returns to Tasmania, Damages Roadside Infrastructure and Draws Large Crowds

Neil, a 1,000 kg male elephant seal, has returned to the southern coast of Tasmania and is damaging traffic bollards, a public warning sign and a fence while occupying roads.The seal’s roughly 1.4M TikTok followers are drawing crowds and the Tasmania Department of Natural Resources and Environment is urging people not to reveal Neil’s location to avoid dangerous human‑seal interactions.Experts say Neil’s charging and skirmishes with cars are juvenile dominance behavior; officials warn he could grow toward 5 meters and near 7,000 lb if he reaches adulthood, heightening risks that in past cases have led to euthanizations.
Tags
Read more
Discuss