Safety fears spark calls for better protections for Neil the seal

Tasmania's beloved elephant seal, Neil, is drawing attention not just for his growing popularity but also for growing safety concerns. Wildlife advocates and a local councillor are urging the state to implement stricter regulations to protect the five-year-old seal, who has become a social media sensation.

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Fines should be implemented to discourage disturbances, ensuring that only those trained and familiar with Neil's behaviours can approach him.

A petition with nearly 30,000 signatures calls for the creation of restricted access zones around Neil's habitats, proposing fines for intrusions to ensure only trained individuals approach him. This measure aims to prevent disturbances that could lead to Neil being euthanized.

Neil, currently about three meters long and weighing 1,000 kilograms, is expected to reach up to 4,000 kilograms as an adult and may become more territorial. Wildlife carer Cory Young emphasized the need for a plan before Neil reaches his full adult size, noting that seals can spend extended periods ashore molting, during which they are particularly sensitive.

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As he's aged, he's gotten more attention and more popularity, and, as such, I think that's why we need to do something now before he does get to two, three tonnes.

Wildlife advocate Jason Graham echoed these concerns, stating that the priority is to prevent harm to both people and Neil. "The last thing we want is to see someone hurt by doing the wrong thing, and definitely we don't want Neil to suffer the consequences of an accident that could occur from people getting too close," Graham said.

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Essentially he's itchy all over his body, and he's trying to remove that.

While Tasmania's Department of Natural Resources and Environment manages traffic and advises onlookers to stay at least 20 meters away when Neil is ashore, advocates argue this is insufficient. Other Australian states, like Victoria, have legislated specific safeguards, prohibiting people from being within 30 meters of a seal on land, or 50 meters if accompanied by a dog.

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The last thing we want is to see someone hurt by doing the wrong thing, and definitely we don't want Neil to suffer the consequences of an accident that could occur from people getting too close.