HOBART, July 4 — Neil the seal is back, and the one-tonne southern elephant seal is once again causing chaos across southern Tasmania. He has been crushing fences, blocking roads and even smashing into parked cars. The five-year-old seal has taken up residence in several towns in recent days, ignoring barricades and traffic cones as he hauls out on roads and driveways.
Locals have watched him flop over fences, nudge LandCruisers and settle himself in puddles surrounded by bollards. Experts describe this as play-fighting behaviour.
Neil is treating everyday objects as stand-ins for the seal colony he doesn’t have. Kris Carlyon from the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania says Neil’s behaviour is a direct result of isolation. “He’s got no other seals to play with, to joust with, to test his own strength with like he would be doing normally,” Carlyon said.
“So he chooses things to interact with — and he’s obviously decided that this puddle surrounded by bollards, which are horizontal at the moment, is the thing he wants to engage with.” Male elephant seals like Neil spend their early years developing the behaviours they’ll need to compete for territory and mates. That includes play-fighting, jousting and testing strength — usually with other seals.
In Tasmania, Neil has no colony to interact with, so he redirects that instinct toward whatever objects he can find. Neil’s fame has exploded online, with crowds gathering whenever he appears. Carlyon says that attention is a double-edged sword.
“Right now the attention Neil gets helps with the awareness of our threatened species, helps with his protection in some ways,” he said. “But it also encourages perhaps risky human behaviour. If unmanaged, that attention…” For now, Neil continues his solitary rampage through southern Tasmania.
Locals and visitors alike are advised to keep a safe distance. As with any wild animal, the best way to care for Neil is to let him be — and to talk to your local wildlife authorities if you spot him.
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