Neil the Seal

Rare card · No. 71596

Neil (born October 2020), also known as Neil the Seal, is a southern elephant seal in the Australian state of Tasmania. He was born in Salem Bay, Tasmania. 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 behaviour. Later events saw Neil more closely interacting with humans, often leaving the beach and resting on the city's roads, or even following people. In one instance in 2023, then weighing an estimated 600 kg (1,300 lb), Neil was found basking on someone's front lawn for a few hours in Hobart, preventing a local woman from accessing her car. He was later relocated in April 2023 by officials of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment after people and dogs harassed him in Kingston Beach, but by December 2023 he had reappeared roughly 112...

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