In brief
- Neil the seal, the viral southern elephant seal, became the star of Tasmania's Seven Mile Beach.
- Managing his antics has left the town's local council with a sizeable repair bill.
Neil the seal captures hearts and global attention during his visits to Tasmania, but his most recent stay racked up a bill of more than $36,000.
The five-year-old elephant seal hauls out twice a year to rest and moult in the island state's south-east, where he was born.
His antics, including crushing bollards and fences, and lounging on quiet beach-side streets, have drawn millions of views on social media.
His 15-day stay at Seven Mile Beach cost the local Clarence City Council a total of $31,540.53 — the majority relating to staffing and labour.
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There is also a repair bill for one flattened street sign, 10 knocked-over bollards and one crushed fence, costing council $1,297.70 in materials.
Staff, including a 24-hour security presence, spent 275.5 hours managing traffic and crowds and repairing damage.
Council mayor Brendan Blomeley said the overall bill was relatively small.
"Neil is a wild animal, and the overexposure and constant public attention he received could have led to a more dramatic outcome," Blomeley said.
"Wherever he decides to come ashore next, I hope he is given the space and time he needs."
Right-to-information documents obtained by the ABC show that Tasmania's natural resources and environment department has spent more than $45,000 managing Neil's four haul-outs in 2025 and 2026.
Neil's June haul-out cost the department $4,794, but it was still calculating the full price tag.
Neil, who currently weighs one tonne, safely returned to sea in early July and is expected to come back to Tasmania later in the year once he's done feeding in the Southern Ocean.
He was rescued by wildlife authorities after being born on a beach in southern Tasmania.
Experts have said his "jousting" with posts and other objects is natural behaviour, and something seals of his age usually do with each other.
There were once southern elephant seals in Tasmania, but they were wiped out by hunting in the early 1800s.
The species is currently listed as vulnerable in Australia.
"Neil is potentially one of the first southern elephant seal pups to be born back in Tasmania," department wildlife expert Kris Carlyon has said.
"Regardless of the resource burden and the challenges that Neil throws, we're pleased to see him."
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