Species | Southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina) |
---|---|
Born | October 2020 (age 3) |
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]
Species | Southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina) |
---|---|
Born | October 2020 (age 3) |
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]