Neil (seal)
| Species | Southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina) |
|---|---|
| Born | October 2020 (age 4) |
| Residence | Hobart, Tasmania, Australia |
| Weight | 600 kg (1,323 lb; 94 st 7 lb) |
Neil (born October 2020),[1] also known as Neil the Seal, is a southern elephant seal in the Australian state of Tasmania.[2][3] He was born in Salem Bay, Tasmania.[4]
Neil gained fame in July 2022 after resting in Hobart for his month-long moulting period. While most people kept a safe distance, incidents of humans disturbing the seal led to traffic cones placed to protect him. Neil, playing with the traffic cones, attracted more attention to his unusual behavior.[2][5]
Later events saw Neil more closely interacting with humans, often leaving the beach and resting on the city's roads, or even following people.[2] In one instance in 2023, Neil was found basking in someone's front lawn for a few hours,[3] while another instance downing a fence in Dunalley.[5] He was relocated in April 2023 after people and dogs harassed him in Kingston Beach.[6][7]
Neil is an internet celebrity, having at least 126,000 followers on Instagram under the username "neiltheseal22" as of January 20, 2024,[5][8] and over 730,000 followers on TikTok as of January 3, 2024.[1]
He is being monitored by the Marine Conservation Program, established by Tasmania's Department of Natural Resources and Environment, for health and safety reasons.[2][9]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "The Chaotic Antics of Neil the Seal Could Totally Happen in New England". WOKQ. January 3, 2024. Retrieved January 21, 2024.
- ^ a b c d Ross, Selina (July 28, 2022). "Neil the seal has been hanging around homes for a month — and the locals are trying to protect him". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
- ^ a b Touma, Rafqa (November 14, 2023). "Neil the 600kg seal stops Tasmanian woman going to work after taking nap in front of her car". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
- ^ Moench, Mallory (December 22, 2023). "The Internet's Newest Sensation Is Tasmania's Neil the Seal". Time. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
- ^ a b c Shafiq, Saman (December 22, 2023). "'Neil the Seal', Tasmania's elephant seal, becomes a viral Internet sensation". USA Today. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
- ^ "Goodbye Neil". Tasmanian Times. April 29, 2023. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
- ^ Albeck-Ripka, Livia (December 19, 2023). "Tasmania Falls for Neil the Seal, a 1,000-Pound Beach Bum". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
- ^ "neiltheseal22". Instagram. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
- ^ "Marine Mammal Incident Response | Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania". nre.tas.gov.au.