Neil the Seal's Unique Lifestyle

By Clancy Balen

Topic: Animal Behaviour

Friday, 26 June 2026, at 5:24 am

Neil the seal often visits southern Tasmania. He comes twice a year, once to rest and again to shed his skin.

In short:

A five-year-old elephant seal named Neil has returned to land in southern Tasmania.

An expert says Neil could get a bad bird flu even though he lives alone.

What's next?

People should stay away from Neil and not try to touch him or move him.

Neil the seal is in the news again.

Neil, the five-and-a-half-year-old elephant seal, was seen in southern Tasmania. He was moved by the Department of Natural Resources and Environment staff because he was blocking traffic.

Neil is famous on social media, but people should keep their distance.

Neil is getting bigger, and his behavior is changing. This could be dangerous for people.

Neil weighs almost 1,000 kilograms. He is more of a risk to people than they are to him.

Elephant seals return to where they were born to rest and shed their skin. For Neil, that place is the Tasman Peninsula.

There is another risk for Neil: bird flu.

A bad kind of bird flu has been found in Western Australia and South Australia.

It has already hurt many animals around the world.

Neil is alone and not with other seals, so he is less likely to get the flu.

Experts think the bird flu will come to Tasmania soon.

The bird flu has killed many baby seals on an island in the Southern Ocean.

And it has also hurt seals and sea lions in South America.

The flu was found on the island last August.

Some seal groups lost almost all of their babies.

Big seals, including adults, have also been killed by the flu.

An expert says Neil is in a good place to avoid the flu.

The expert has studied birds and seals in the Southern Ocean for 15 years.

Because Neil lives alone, he is less likely to get the flu.

Seals usually live in big groups, but Neil does not.

Experts think Neil's mother is from an island called Macquarie Island.

Even though Neil is alone, he could still get the flu from a bird or contaminated water.

Only birds have been found with the flu in Australia so far.

Salmon farms could be where the flu spreads to other animals.

Some birds, like black swans, are at high risk of getting the flu.

Native animals, like marsupials, could also get the flu.

Neil's solo lifestyle might keep him safe, but as he gets older, he might get into trouble.

Neil might play with things like trash cans and fences.

When Neil is older, he could be more aggressive and weigh twice as much as he does now.

Neil is famous on social media, but people should stay away from him.

The government is trying to keep Neil and people safe.

People should not approach Neil or try to move him.

The government uses safe methods to move Neil along.

Neil was moved after he blocked traffic in a neighborhood.

Neil will likely return to Tasmania often.

When Neil goes to the ocean to eat, he will be alone, so he is less likely to get the flu.

But Neil will probably keep coming back to Tasmania because that is where he was born.

As Neil gets older, he might become more aggressive.

Experts think Neil's mother was from Macquarie Island.

She might have been a young mother who had Neil in the wrong place.

Neil might still play with things like trash cans and fences.

Neil always comes back to Tasmania at the same time of year.

As an adult, Neil could weigh more than twice as much as he does now.

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