Famous ‘Neil the Seal’ Shows off in the Middle of the Road Before Being Chased Away by Police
You may have heard of Australia's famous seal, Neil the Seal, who became an internet sensation in 2023. The elephant seal obviously has no idea that he's famous or how much he entertains us all, but crowds gather to see him when he swims ashore in Tasmania several times a year and makes himself right at home. Literally. Wherever he wants.... even in the middle of the road where he holds up traffic.
A video was posted on Friday, August 2nd of Neil showing off in the middle of the road again. In the background, you can see people recording the seal as he rocks back and forth with his tail up. He's holding up traffic, and the police either were just in the area or were called to get him to move. It's a regular occurrence in this city!
In Neil the Seal's caption they say that seals perform the 'banana pose' - which is what he's doing - when they are feeling safe and content. Neil's so happy to be around all of the people! I think he actually likes the attention.
Commenters also got a kick out of the video. @BEW said, "Neil doing his finest Olympic poses." @Stephanie McKissen pointed out, "The way he turned when they honked at him "Excuse you" "You wanna go?" LOL!" The man that recorded the video said, "He was back on the road soon after the police left." And I totally agree with @Erin who shared, "He’s such a menace and I absolutely love him!"
More About Neil the Seal
Believe it or not, Neal is just a baby! The elephant seal is estimated to be about 3 years old and weigh 1,300 pounds. National Geographic says that southern elephant seals are the largest seals in the world and can grow up to 20 feet in length and weigh up to 9,000 pounds (that's 4.5 tons!). Neil's going to be a big boy!
Knowing it's not safe for Neil to be living in the middle of the city, and that it could potentially be dangerous for people too, Tasmanian wildlife handlers tried to relocate Neil to a 'more secluded area'. Clearly, they've failed every attempt because he keeps coming back.
Neil enjoys stopping traffic by laying in the middle of the road, but he also destroys road signs, lounges in residents' yards, yells at people, and generally shows up where he's not supposed to be. One woman told the Australian Broadcast Company that she had to call off from work because Neil was blocking her car and she couldn't leave the house, "There's not a lot you can do with a 600-kilogram seal at your car. I have no idea why he's chosen my front yard but he's welcome to stay as long as he wants." I'd let him stay, too!
Looking for more PetHelpful updates? Follow us on YouTube for more entertaining videos. Or, share your own adorable pet by submitting a video, and sign up for our newsletter for the latest pet updates and tips.
