This Week in Science: Neil The Seal, Mega Megalodon, And More!
The 1-tonne seal is crushing fences and blocking roads as officials warn crowds to keep their distance and avoid sharing his location online.
- Neil, a 1000kg southern elephant seal, is causing chaos across southern Tasmania by crushing fences, blocking roads, and smashing into parked cars in what experts describe as play fighting.
- Born on the Tasman Peninsula in 2020, Neil became isolated after his mother likely got lost traveling to the Macquarie Island colony, about 1500km away.
- Kris Carlyon from the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania explains Neil is improvising because he lacks other seals to joust with, and bollards "stand little chance" against him.
- Public attention encourages risky behavior, potentially pushing Neil into unnatural habitats, as officials cite the case of Freya, a walrus euthanized in Norway in 2022 after crowds put themselves in danger.
- Authorities have instructed the public to keep their distance and avoid sharing Neil's location on social media, while Carlyon noted attention remains a double-edged sword for threatened species awareness.
22 Articles
22 Articles
‘It’s Neil’s world and we’re just living in it’: Tasmania’s menace is back. As he wreaks a trail of destruction, officials ask tourists to stay away
Neil is back at it again, and the 2,200-pound elephant seal is making his presence felt across Tasmania in the most chaotic way possible. After spending months feeding out at sea, the five-year-old mammal has returned to his Australian birthplace for a 12th visit. According to NBC News, the massive seal has left a trail of bent traffic bollards, smashed fences, and general mayhem in his wake, even bringing beachside towns to a standstill when he…
He hates the traffic signs and destroys their passage. He has twice as many followers as the entire human population of Tasmania. He was moved 100 kilometers from any populated place but always returns to the place where he was born and has already become an antihero loved by all.
The elephant seal is causing chaos in Tasmania – and giving authorities a headache. The internet star's popularity is proving to be a risk.
This Week in Science: Neil The Seal, Mega Megalodon, And More!
This Week in Science: A viral sensation is back in town, a sea monster's gigantic size is confirmed, Yellowstone installs a new pool, and much more! First up: 'Neil the seal' has returned to wreak havoc in the Tasmanian towns where he first achieved internet stardom.
While traffic is being slowed down by construction sites in our country, it is being hindered in the south of Australia's Tasmania by a seal. The South Sea elephant, named Neil, has amassed a total of more than a million and a half followers on social media with his antics and not exactly exemplary behavior. His popularity is now causing increasing concern for the local community in the country down there.
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