(Marine Conservation Program/Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania)
His name is Neil the seal, and this year, he's gotten absolutely enormous - in size and in popularity.In case you haven't seen the viral videos, Neil is a five-and-a-half-year-old southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina) who returns each year to the beaches of Hobart, an Australian capital city, to shed his coat.This year, however, Neil has a beach body bigger than ever. With every extra chunk of blubber, the seal seems to be accruing more and more fans, with a TikTok following of 1.4 million.As a young pup, Neil was the mere height of a traffic cone.Now, he can crush one… and does so regularly.
Experts with Tasmania's Department of Natural Resources and Environment estimate that the elephant seal is currently galumphing around with 1,000 kilograms under his belt, according to reporting from ABC News Australia.Still, all that heft hasn't stopped Neil from hitting up his favorite haunts.For such a large marine mammal, Neil worms around town with surprising alacrity, and his behavior has earned him the affection of locals and millions online.Over the years, Neil has been caught napping in the middle of the road…
