Neil the elephant seal may be Tasmania’s most famous resident, but his love for napping on local roads and driveways has experts concerned.
When you live in an environment as diverse as Australia’s, it’s pretty common to come across a vast array of wildlife that passes through local roads.
And though kangaroos, wallabies, and livestock are abundant in most states and territories, it’s an elephant seal that’s causing havoc and Tasmanian streets.
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Appropriately named ‘Neil’, the marine creature has become synonymous with the island, so much so that the seal has garnered internet fame, with dedicated Instagram and Facebook pages sharing the elephant seal’s journey during his stay on the island.
The southern elephant seal was born on the Tasman Peninsula coast in 2020, with Neil becoming a prominent visitor to the island once or twice a year.
Over the past couple of years, the famous seal has been spotted chewing on traffic cones, and sun baking on local roads and private driveways while blocking some cars and causing mischief to residential drivers.
Various experts predict Neil will grow to approximately five metres and weight over 3500kg, and authorities are warning locals to maintain their distance when coming across the adorable creature.
While the elephant seal has become an internet sensation for his humours antics that circulates on social media over the years, Neil went viral in 2023 after he was caught napping in front of a woman’s car, preventing the lady from going to work.
In a 2023 ABC report, Tasmanian resident Amber Harris was shocked to find the elephant seal asleep in front of her vehicle.
Harris, who lives in front of a beach, told ABC Radio Hobart, she saw Neil hanging around her front deck before it found a comfortable resting place on her driveway.
“[Work] got all the photos, so they knew it was legitimate. It’s given everyone in the office a bit of a laugh,” she said.
Adorable as Neil might be, a spokesperson for the Department of Natural Resources and Environment told local news outlet Pulse Tasmania, a crowd of people surrounding the elephant seal is a safety risk.
“People ‘visiting’ this seal creates safety risks for the seal and humans, can cause traffic issues, disrupt nearby residents and affect the seal’s long term behaviour and survival,” a spokesperson said.
“Anyone who comes across the seal should stay at least 20m away and keep dogs leashed and at least 50m away.”
Still, that hasn’t stopped Neil from standing his ground, with multiple stand-offs between the elephant seal and local authorities recorded on video and making their rounds on TikTok and Instagram.
@neiltheseal316 A big ???? to oncoming traffic and big yarns ???? ???? ????from Mr Neil the Seal. Neil was meant to be in witness protection from the Tasmanian Government. They sedated him and put him to sleep & took him away to an undisclosed location, but it didn’t take Neil the Seal to long before he escaped and come straight back to his nearest public road & his people ????
Should you brake for animals on the road?
Various state and territory transport departments have advised drivers to only brake for animals on the road if it’s safe to do so.
According to the Queensland government, motorists who need to evade wild life on local roads “must assess the situation and take appropriate action that avoids or prevents risk from yourself and other road users. Always apply brakes in a controlled manner”.
“You may safely stop or drive on the road shoulder to avoid hitting an animal… however you must not unreasonably obstruct the path of another road user or cause a traffic hazard,” it advised.
If braking isn’t a safe option, authorities said going around the animal slowly is the best bet. However, in some situations where these options aren’t feasible, Transport Victoria said, “you may have to hit it [the animal] to avoid injuring yourself or others”.
Should you hit an animal while driving, authorities advise motorists to contact their local wildlife centres to inform them the details of the accident.
Should you swerve to avoid animals on the road?
No you shouldn’t swerve your car to avoid an animal on the road. While it’s human nature to swiftly evade an incoming roadblock like unexpected wildlife, experts say it’s a dangerous maneuver that could lead to severe injuries and in some cases, fatal accidents.
According to the Royal Automotive Club of Queensland (RACQ) – the state’s peak motoring body – it saw a 25 per cent increase in car claims relating to animal collisions between 2022 and 2023, prompting RACQ to remind drivers to remain alert when driving on local roads.
Trent Sayers, RACQ’s Group Executive for Insurance, said drivers should aim to avoid driving at dawn and dusk where some animals like kangaroos are most active.
“If driving at these times is unavoidable, use high beams where appropriate, drive to the conditions, don’t speed and stay alert for any wildlife in your peripheral vision that might have moved onto the road.
“You shouldn’t be swerving to avoid hitting an animal as it can put you in greater risk of causing a collision with another vehicle or roadside obstacle,” Sayers said in a media statement.
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