A steady stream of people has come to get the best view of Australia’s biggest celebrity. In the coastal town of Seven Mile Beach, in Tasmania, children
sit on their parents’ shoulders; people clamber onto rocks, some clutching binoculars. A murmur of excitement echoes through the crowd every time the star moves.

Cars drive at a snail’s pace to catch a glimpse of the VIP and passengers smile in delight when they do. Multiple TV crews are watching closely.

They have come for Neil: an unruly, 2204-pound (1000-kilogram) southern elephant seal who is making his twice-a-year pilgrimage to Tasmania’s southeast coast, his birthplace. Although Neil has always had a large fan base, his fame seems to have reached new heights this year.

Videos of him smashing traffic cones or wooden fences, seizing bollards, bumping cars and telephone boxes, or simply lazing in the middle of the road have spread across the world, attracting millions of views. Merchandise featuring Neil has sold out within hours.

Neil seems unbothered by his legion of fans. On the day The New York Times visited, he slept for hours beside a wooden fence that wobbled every time he let out a loud snort – which was often.

But fame is a fickle thing. Kris Carlyon, the section head for wildlife health at Tasmania’s Department of Natural Resources, warned this month that there was a risk of the public “loving Neil to death”.

“We have seen examples around the world where large, potentially dangerous animals have had to be euthanised if there is risky behaviour by the public,” he said.

In 2022, the Norwegian authorities killed a 1300-pound walrus named Freya who had spent weeks off the coast of Oslo climbing onto boats and lounging on piers.

Carlyon’s comments drew panic. More than 60,000 people have signed a petition in support of creating restricted access zones around the seal.

In the meantime, Tasmanian officials have rolled out 24/7 security around Neil, while dedicated traffic controllers manage the cars and crowds, keeping people at least 65 feet (20 metres) away. The authorities will issue fines to anyone who harasses him.

‘Love him from a distance’

Neil’s behaviour is unusual. Southern elephant seals normally live on Subantarctic islands, which makes Neil’s visits to Tasmania twice a year – around October to moult and once mid-year to rest – surprising.

Jane Younger, a specialist in elephant seal behaviour from the University of Tasmania, said Neil’s mother was likely an inexperienced breeder and gave birth to him in Tasmania, rather than at the seal colonies farther south. Neil, who is now about 5 years old, has been popping up in the same spot ever since.

Although he is a beloved part of the community, Neil is probably lonely. Younger said elephant seals are social creatures, although there is a chance Neil comes into contact with other elephant seals during his months at sea.

“If he were living in an elephant seal colony, this is the age where they are kind of wrestling and playing with each other,” Younger said, adding that they would be developing these skills so they can fight for territories on the beach when they reach sexual maturity.

“He’s a large, wild marine predator, and he’s very dangerous, so he could easily hurt someone just from him being startled or stressed or overcrowded,” Younger said.

“I totally get why people love him; it’s just about loving him, but do it from a distance.”

Neil will eventually grow to about 7716 pounds – about the size of a small truck.

Many of Neil’s fans are aware of the danger he poses and stay for a few moments to take a photo and share quiet words of awe before sneaking away.

Bronwyn Garfield had already planned a trip to Tasmania when she found out her visit coincided with the seal’s.

“I am thoroughly enjoying the internet buzz around him and the memes that he’s generating. He’s just millennial vibes, living his best life, throwing his weight around, just creating chaos and being adorable while doing it,” she said.

Garfield said Neil was a good mascot for broader conservation and that she was glad to see officials and locals protecting him.

One resident, Tania Petrie, has photographed Neil for years and bumped into him last week while he was lying in the middle of the road. There were no authorities around to help redirect traffic or keep Neil safe, so Petrie stepped in until the police arrived.

She hopes the authorities continue to ensure Neil’s safety so he visits for many years to come.

“Seeing Neil just being himself and getting up to a bit of mischief brings a little joy to me and maybe others feel the same,” she said.

As with any celebrity, there comes a time when the attention becomes too much. That moment occurred Wednesday evening, when Neil slipped back into the sea. It is not known when he will return.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

Written by: Laura Chung

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