See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred SourceBy NOOR QURASHI, NEWS REPORTER Published: 02:03 BST, 1 July 2026 | Updated: 02:20 BST, 1 July 2026
A one-ton seal called Neil has been branded 'ungovernable' after slobbering its way onto shore - blocking roads, damaging cars and crushing bollards.The wild animal, 5, emerged from the sea in Tasmania last week for its annual return to land to catch up on rest and moulting.Stunning footage shows the mammal slowly finding his way around Australia's roads - with staff from the Department of Natural Resources and Environment resorting to prodding him with poles and cardboard in a bid to keep him under control.In one alarming clip the elephant seal gets up close to a man's van amid warnings he is about to 'get up and smash the windows'.Fortunately he is distracted by a passerby while the vehicle owner is able to make a swift getaway.One person commented: 'He's more ungovernable than ever.'Another said: 'Imaginine explaining that to the insurance company! Do they have a Neil clause?'In another video the iconic young adult is seen jumping on traffic bollards - leaving a row of flattened poles on the road behind him. Stunning footage shows the mammal slowly finding his way around Australia's roads In another video the iconic young adult is seen jumping on traffic bollards - leaving a row of flattened poles on the road behind himBut in one recording, local residents can be heard calling for officials to 'leave him alone' as they attempt to get Neil to move from a path next to a fence.One man says: 'Neil will go to the beach when Neil wants to go to the f***ing beach. What's wrong with these guys?'A woman says: 'Who the hell are you?'Somebody commented under the clip: 'The one time Neil literally isn't doing anything.'Officials have insisted their methods are safe and do not cause harm to the animal - as they 'prioritise its wellbeing' while managing public access.It comes as people in the area have been advised to 'stay at least 20 metres away from Neil' and make sure they 'slowly' edge away if he begins to move towards them.One warning adds: 'Neil is a wild animal. He needs space, respect and freedom.'Elephant seals are known to commonly come ashore along coastlines for natural reasons tied to their lifestyle. Officials have insisted their methods are safe and do not cause harm to the animal - as they 'prioritise its wellbeing' while managing public accessIn some places seeing a seal onshore is described as a normal occurrence. Neil was born at Salem Bay on the Tasman Peninsula in 2020 and quickly became a local celebrity - amassing 1.4million followers on TikTok.His popular appeal grew in July 2022 when he settled in Hobart for his annual moult - a three to six-week period in which elephant seals come ashore to shed their old fur and skin.Tasmania’s department of natural resources and environment said: 'Neil is now estimated to weigh around 1,000kg, and even small movements from a large wild animal can cause serious injury.'Male southern elephant seals naturally engage in play fighting, and without a colony in Tasmania, Neil can be drawn to busy areas in search of interaction.'
