Neil the giant seal becomes a social media star

Australian wildlife officials have urged people to respect the privacy of Neil, a one-ton elephant seal whose growing social media fame is drawing large crowds and raising concerns about public safety.

Neil, a five-year-old southern elephant seal weighing about 1,000 kilograms, returned to the beaches of Tasmania in June for his regular twice-yearly visit after spending months feeding at sea. While his arrival has delighted many locals, it has also caused disruptions as the giant marine mammal roams through coastal towns.

During his latest visit, Neil has damaged traffic bollards, knocked down a warning sign and broken through a fence while wandering through neighborhoods. He is also known for resting in unusual places, including the middle of roads, bringing traffic to a halt.

Wildlife officials say the biggest concern is not the property damage but the increasing number of people trying to get close to the seal for photos and videos.

Neil has attracted more than 1.4 million followers on TikTok, making him one of Tasmania's most famous animals. His playful but destructive behavior, including nudging parked cars and breaking through barriers set up to keep him away from roads, has made him an online sensation.

However, experts say his behavior is normal for a young male elephant seal.

Sophia Volzke, an elephant seal researcher at the University of Tasmania, said juvenile males naturally practice fighting skills before reaching adulthood. Since Neil has no other young male seals nearby, he ends up testing his strength on objects such as parked vehicles and roadside barriers.

Speaking at a news conference in Hobart on Thursday, Kris Carlyon of Tasmania's Department of Natural Resources and Environment warned that Neil's popularity could put both people and the seal at risk.

He said officials had seen people carrying babies close to the seal just to capture photos for social media, describing such behavior as irresponsible.

Authorities have also asked the public not to reveal Neil's exact location online, fearing large crowds could force wildlife officers to relocate him if safety becomes a concern.

Carlyon pointed to the case of Freya, a walrus in Norway that attracted huge crowds before being euthanized in 2023 after authorities said it posed a growing risk to public safety.

"There is a risk here of essentially loving Neil to death," Carlyon said.

Elephant seals normally return twice a year to the places where they were born to rest, shed their fur and fast before heading back to sea. Although several seal species sometimes wander into coastal towns, Neil is unusual because he is the only male elephant seal regularly coming ashore in Tasmania.

Researchers believe Neil's mother likely came from breeding colonies on sub-Antarctic islands south of Tasmania to give birth. Female elephant seals have also been seen in Tasmania, but they are much smaller than males and generally cause fewer problems.

Volzke said elephant seals once lived in greater numbers around Tasmania and may now be returning to former habitats.

She said people would need to learn how to coexist with the animals.

Neil is expected to grow much larger if he survives to adulthood, potentially reaching about five meters in length and weighing around three times his current weight. However, researchers say around 90% of male elephant seals die before reaching breeding age at about 10 years old.

For now, Neil continues to relax wherever he chooses, including a patch of sidewalk where he has repeatedly returned despite being moved by wildlife officers. He has even been spotted playing with an orange traffic cone, much to the delight of his online followers.

Local resident Dale Creamer said the famous seal had become something of a hometown celebrity.

"He's one of our biggest exports at the moment," Creamer said. "It's Neil's world and we're just living in it."