A three-year-old elephant seal named Neil had an Instagram account with more than 65,000 followers by late 2023. The account, @neiltheseal22, was set up by a Tasmanian local to teach people about Neil and seals like him. Wildlife experts worried the attention could hurt both the seal and the people crowding around him.
Neil already weighed about 1,300 pounds. He is a southern elephant seal, a species of the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic that was hunted close to extinction before its numbers rebounded in recent years. Born in southern Tasmania, he came ashore in the beach suburbs to moult. During his visits he made a woman late for work, had several run-ins with police and played with traffic cones. The New York Times wrote about him.
Why officials worried
Officials warned that Neil, though cute, is wild. For his bulk he moves faster than people expect. There had been several worrying encounters between curious onlookers and the seal, and in April 2023 wildlife officials moved him to a more secluded spot because crowds and dogs kept harassing him.
Mary-Anne Lea, a professor of marine and Antarctic studies, raised the case of Freya the walrus in a statement to The Guardian. Freya won fans in Norway by climbing aboard boats to bask in the sun. Crowds gathered to watch her doze, and people kept approaching her despite pleas from wildlife officials. Officials warned that euthanasia would be considered. Freya was put down later that year as “a persistent threat to human security”.
Experts feared a similar end for Neil. The person who runs his accounts stopped posting his location. The Instagram bio read, “I’m a Southern Elephant Seal who is back in Tassie… but shhh don’t tell my friends where I am.” A post asked anyone who meets him to give him “20m of space”, roughly 65 feet, and to keep dogs leashed and close.
Moult season and the future
The moulting season for southern elephant seals runs from December to March. The animals shed their outer layer of skin and fur and come ashore where it is warmer.
Experts hope Neil will move to one of three breeding grounds, on Macquarie, Heard and Maatsuyker islands, when he reaches sexual maturity at about 10 years old. Until then, officials say he must not become used to humans.
Sources
- Neil the Seal Goes Viral, Prompting Concern for His Welfare
- Neil the Seal Goes Viral, Prompting Concern for His Welfare | Focusing on Wildlife
