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 naps in the middle of the road. Neil the seal also boasts a massive social media following. Per The Independent, a TikTok in his honor has a following of 1.4 million people, which is more than double the entire human population of Tasmania. However, that is nerve-racking for officials. They are worried that his massive popularity is going to lead to some dangerous interactions between humans and the seal. During a news conference in Hobart on Thursday, Kris Carlyon from Tasmania’s Department of Natural Resources and Environment said, “Neil’s fame is a bit of a double-edged sword.” He pointed out some concerning behavior from fans, noting, “We have had some pretty silly behavior, instances with people carrying their small babies up close to him and simply trying to get that shot for Instagram.” Neil’s popularity comes from his chaos The authorities are now asking people to stop sharing Neil’s specific location. NBC noted that they are really trying to avoid a scenario where a bad interaction forces rangers to step in and move him, which would be a risky operation for everyone involved. Carlyon even brought up the case of Freya, a walrus in Norway that was euthanized in 2023 because the crowds became a safety risk. He warned, “There is a risk here of essentially loving Neil to death.” Some people online are calling him an anti-authoritarian hero for his habit of picking fights with parked cars and destroying barriers. However, experts say this is just normal behavior for a growing seal. @neiltheseal316 When Neil is fully grown, his full-power adult voice will be incredibly loud the Decibel levels can blast between 80 to over 100 dB (that is as loud as a chainsaw or a concert!) His adult whinny will carry through the air for up to 1.5 kilometres #neiltheseal video sent in by @ JUSTIN ♬ original sound – Neil the Seal Sophia Volzke, an elephant seal scientist at the University of Tasmania in Hobart, explained to the outlet that juvenile males need to practice for the intense dominance battles they will face as adults. Since there aren’t any other young seals around for him to spar with, he has been using local infrastructure, like Toyotas, as his practice partners. It is normal for seals to return to their birthplace to rest, fast, and shed their fur, but Neil is a bit of an outlier because he is the only male elephant seal currently coming ashore in Tasmania. Volzke thinks that maybe these animals are starting to repopulate areas they were previously driven out of by humans, which she thinks is a sign. “We do need to find a way to coexist,” she said. View this post on Instagram That might get a lot harder as time goes on. According to The Independent, if Neil makes it to adulthood, he could end up being 16 feet long and triple his current weight. That is a massive amount of seal to deal with, especially for the police and rangers who are already keeping a close eye on him. As a wild animal, no one can control his behavior. In fact, the Italian beachside town of Punta Marina is uniquely placed as an example of how dangerous and disruptive wild animals can be. Except their problem is a flock of amorous peacocks who have nested in abandoned military barracks. @nbcnews A 2,200-pound elephant seal named Neil is going viral for wreaking havoc on a Tasmanian town after months of feeding at sea, but wildlife officials warn his popularity could lead to ill-advised human-seal encounters that are dangerous for both sides. ♬ original sound – nbcnews – nbcnews It is worth noting that about 90% of male elephant seals don’t actually make it to breeding age, which is around 10 years old. For now, the outlet notes that Neil seems pretty content just lounging around on the sidewalk. He has even been seen “canoodling with an orange traffic cone,” which his fans absolutely love. He has been ushered away by rangers before, but he always seems to find his way back to the same spot. As Carlyon noted on Thursday, “He’s obviously decided this puddle surrounded by bollards, which are horizontal at the moment, is his spot.” @abcnewsaus Neil the seal has become one of Tasmania’s biggest celebrities. But authorities are concerned his popularity could put him and the public at risk. Read the full story by Jano Gibson on ABC News. #NeilTheSeal #ABCNewsTas ♬ original sound – ABC News Australia – ABC News Australia The locals have some mixed feelings about the giant visitor, but Dale Creamer, who lives in a town Neil is currently “trashing,” has a pretty funny perspective on the whole thing. “He’s one of our biggest exports at the moment,” Creamer said. “It’s Neil’s world and we’re just living in it.”