1,000kg Seal Neil Returns to Ocean After 4-6 Week Moult in Tasmania

3 articles · Updated · SBS News · Jul 10

Neil — the five-year-old, 1,000kg elephant seal — has left Tasmania's coast and returned to sea after completing his annual winter moult.
That land stay is a normal 4-6 week process: elephant seals come ashore to shed and regrow fur, then head back to the ocean to hunt and rebuild blubber reserves.
Wildlife officials expect Neil to return next winter because he repeatedly comes back to the Tasmanian peninsula where he was born in 2020, despite the species usually gathering in herds on sub-Antarctic islands.
Tasmania authorities are urging people to stay at least 20 metres away, keep dogs leashed and avoid contact, warning unsafe crowd behavior could force Neil's relocation or euthanasia.
Nearly 79,000 people have signed a petition for restricted-access zones around Neil's habitats, as officials say his annual visits also signal a positive recovery trend for a threatened species.