Neil the Seal: Marine Biologist's Take on the Viral Sensation
Summary
TLDRIn this video, marine biologist KP discusses the internet sensation 'Neil the Seal,' a juvenile Southern Elephant Seal known for playful antics. Despite his cuteness, KP warns of the dangers of human interaction, highlighting the need for conservation and respect for wildlife, especially during breeding season.
Takeaways
- đŸ The hashtag 'NeiltheSeal' has gained over fifty million views on TikTok, showcasing the seal's playful antics.
- đ Neil is a Southern Elephant Seal, known for being the largest living pinnipeds.
- đ Male Southern elephant seals can grow up to 20 feet long and weigh up to 8,800 pounds, making them massive compared to other marine mammals.
- đ Southern elephant seals are among the deepest diving animals, capable of diving up to 3,000 feet in search of food.
- đ§ Neil was born in 2020 near Hobart, Tasmania, and was tagged by the Marine Conservation Program, indicating his age and origin.
- đŠ Despite being a juvenile, Neil displays behaviors typical of adult male seals, including rearing up and lunging, which can be dangerous as they grow.
- đ« Wildlife experts and officials are concerned about the public's interaction with Neil, urging people to keep their distance to avoid harm.
- đł The story of Freya, a juvenile walrus, serves as a cautionary tale of how human interaction can lead to tragic outcomes for wildlife.
- đ Neil's popularity has brought attention to the Southern Elephant Seal, a threatened species, and the need for marine mammal conservation.
- đł Neil's interactions, while often harmless, highlight the importance of respecting wildlife and their natural behaviors, especially during the breeding season.
- đč The public can support wildlife conservation by following guidelines to maintain a safe distance from seals like Neil and supporting conservation programs.
Q & A
What is the hashtag 'NeiltheSeal' associated with?
-The hashtag 'NeiltheSeal' is associated with a Southern Elephant Seal named Neil who has gained popularity on TikTok with over fifty million views for his antics like playing with traffic cones, crossing roads, and napping on people's lawns.
Why are wildlife officials and experts alarmed by Neil the Seal's popularity?
-Wildlife officials and experts are alarmed because Neil's interactions with humans could lead to dangerous situations, as he is a wild animal and can be aggressive, especially during the breeding season.
What type of seal is Neil?
-Neil is a Southern Elephant Seal, which is the largest living pinniped.
How large can male Southern Elephant Seals grow?
-Male Southern Elephant Seals can grow up to 20 feet long and weigh up to 8,800 pounds.
What is unique about Southern Elephant Seals' diving abilities?
-Southern Elephant Seals are one of the deepest diving animals on the planet, routinely diving up to 3,000 feet in search of large fish and squid.
What is the significance of the 'proboscis' in male elephant seals?
-The proboscis is a large, inflatable nose used by male elephant seals to produce a drum-like noise to vocally threaten each other and scare away weaker males during mating season.
What is the current status of Southern Elephant Seals in Australia?
-Southern Elephant Seals are a threatened species in Australia, with unexplained declines in subpopulations in the Pacific Ocean since the 1950s, although the population is currently considered stable.
Why is Neil practicing fighting behaviors despite being a juvenile?
-Neil is practicing fighting behaviors as it is a natural instinct for male elephant seals, even though he is not yet sexually mature and does not have the full-sized proboscis.
What was the fate of Freya, the juvenile walrus?
-Freya was euthanized after becoming a threat to humans due to people not heeding warnings to stay away from her, despite her popularity on social media.
What measures are being taken to protect Neil the Seal?
-Wildlife officials and the Marine Conservation Program are urging the public to keep their distance from Neil, report acts of animal cruelty, and follow guidelines to stay 20 meters (65 feet) away from him at all times.
How can the popularity of Neil the Seal be used positively?
-The popularity of Neil can be used to raise awareness about Southern Elephant Seals, highlight the importance of marine mammal conservation, and inspire people to support wildlife projects like the Marine Conservation Program.
Outlines
đ Neil the Seal: Internet Sensation and Concerns
Neil the Seal, a Southern Elephant Seal, has become an internet sensation with over fifty million views on TikTok for his playful antics such as playing with traffic cones and napping in front lawns. Despite his cuteness, wildlife experts like marine biologist KP express alarm. Southern Elephant Seals are the largest living pinnipeds, with males reaching up to 20 feet in length and 8,800 pounds in weight. Neil, estimated to weigh between 1,000 to 1,300 pounds, is not yet fully grown and is practicing bull elephant seal fighting behaviors. Born in 2020 near Hobart, Tasmania, he was tagged by the Marine Conservation Program. The concern is that public interaction could lead to dangerous situations, similar to the case of Freya the walrus, who was euthanized due to human interference.
đ« Public Interaction with Neil: A Growing Concern
Despite warnings from the Tasmania Department of Natural Resources and Environment and the Marine Conservation Program, people continue to approach and interact with Neil the Seal, disregarding the potential dangers. Instances of harassment, such as poking and prodding with sticks, have been reported, prompting interventions to relocate Neil and maintain his privacy. Wildlife officials emphasize the need for people to keep a safe distance and respect the natural behavior of this wild animal, especially during the breeding season when seals can be aggressive. The public's fascination with Neil has also brought attention to the Southern Elephant Seal species, which is threatened in Australia. The unexplained decline in their Pacific Ocean subpopulations since the 1950s is a concern, and efforts are being made to stabilize and increase their numbers. The viral videos of Neil can be used to raise awareness about marine mammal conservation and support projects like the Marine Conservation Program.
Mindmap
Keywords
đĄNeil the Seal
đĄSouthern Elephant Seal
đĄMarine Biologist
đĄMolting
đĄBreeding Season
đĄProboscis
đĄMarine Conservation Program
đĄHuman-Wildlife Interaction
đĄThreatened Species
đĄConservation
đĄPublic Awareness
Highlights
Hashtag 'NeiltheSeal' has over fifty million views on TikTok.
Neil the Seal is a Southern Elephant Seal, the largest living pinnipeds.
Male Southern elephant seals can be 20 feet long and weigh up to 8,800 pounds.
Southern elephant seals are one of the deepest diving animals on the planet.
Elephant seals only come onto land to molt their fur and to reproduce.
Bull elephant seals establish territories and use their proboscis to vocally threaten each other.
Neil is not fully grown and reportedly weighs around 1,000 - 1,300 lbs.
Neil was born in 2020 on the southern tip of Tasmania near Hobart.
Male Southern elephant seals reach sexual maturity around 6 years old.
Neil practices bull elephant fighting behaviors despite being a baby.
Wildlife officials and experts are alarmed by the public's interaction with Neil.
Freya, a juvenile walrus, was euthanized due to human interaction, highlighting the danger for Neil.
People in Tasmania are not respecting warnings to keep away from Neil.
There have been instances of people harassing Neil, leading to interventions to relocate him.
Neil's videos can be used to showcase his species and highlight marine mammal conservation.
The population of Southern Elephant Seals is currently considered stable, but there has been an unexplained decline in the Pacific Ocean subpopulations.
We can use Neil's popularity to inspire people to protect marine mammals and support wildlife projects.
It's important to give Neil space and follow guidelines to stay 20 meters away from him.
Transcripts
Hashtag 'NeiltheSeal' has
over fifty million views on TikTok.
If you're on social media and love wildlife,
then I'm pretty confident you've seen
videos of Neil the Seal playing with traffic cones,
galumphing across roads,
or napping in people's front lawns.
While these antics have
taken the internet by storm,
wildlife officials and experts
are actually pretty alarmed.
And I'm gonna tell you why.
I'm KP, a marine biologist
with over a decade's worth of experience
working with sea lions, walruses,
and of course - seals.
(background music)
Let's start with some important facts
about Neil the Seal.
Neil is a Southern Elephant Seal,
which are the largest living pinnipeds
- and it's actually not even close.
Male Stellar sea lions like the one you see here
can grow up to 11 feet long
and weigh around 2,500 pounds.
(background music) (water splashing sounds)
(- KP: "Good job, chunky monkey!") (background music)
Walruses get to about 12 feet long
and between 4 and 5 thousand pounds.
Southern elephant seals are often
twice the size of a full-grown walrus
and four times as big as
the juvenile male walrus that I work with.
(background music)
Male southern elephant seals can be 20Â feet long
and weigh up to 8,800 pounds.
To put this in perspective,
check out this video of a male elephant seal
absolutely demolishing a car.
(background music) Oh my gosh,
They're so big, look at this dummy -
like do you know how easy it would be
to get crushed by that?
(background music)
Southern elephant seals are also one of the
deepest diving animals on the planet.
They routinely dive up to 3,000Â feet
in search of large fish and squid -
which I go into in greater depths
in a video right up here.
(background music)
Is it left hand?
(DoubleAgentXV: "It's your left hand".)
- KP: Great!
And don't forget to 'like' and subscribe
if you enjoy learning about marine mammals.
These seals will spend months and months
hunting in the open ocean,
and foraging areas that are often
several thousand miles away from land.
In fact, elephant seals only come onto land
to molt their fur and to reproduce.
Bull elephant seals usually arrive
at the mating grounds
in December through January
where they establish territories.
They'll use their large
inflatable nose called a 'proboscis'
to produce a noise that sounds like a drum
as a way to vocally threaten each other
and scare away weaker males.
(background music) (southern elephant seals vocalizing)
When this doesn't work,
the males will engage in vicious fights
that can last days and often result
in bloody injuries and lifelong scars.
(background music) (southern elephant seals vocalizing)
Which brings us to Neil.
You can clearly see from the videos
that Neil is not fully grown.
He reportedly weighs around 1,000 - 1,300 lbs.
So nowhere near the 8,800Â lbs
of a full-grown bull.
He also doesn't have that big proboscis yet.
That's because he's just a baby.
So this is actually Neil practicing
some of those bull elephant fighting behaviors.
(KP chuckles)
That rearing up and lunging
at this traffic thing -
I don't even know what it is...um...
(background music)
(KP scoffs)
(background music)
It looks adorable because he's tiny
but it's actually terrifying when they're bigger.
(background music) (sound effects)
Neil was born in 2020
on the southern tip of Tasmania near Hobart,
where he was tagged by
the Marine Conservation Program.
(background music)
I'm assuming that's what's on top of his head?
(camera clicking sound effect)
(background music)
So he's only about 3 years old.
Male Southern elephant seals
don't usually reach sexual maturity
until they're around 6 years old.
And won't even begin competing with other bulls
until they're closer to 10.
(background music) (southern elephant seals vocalizing)
Even though Neil isn't sexually mature,
he still has that natural instinct
to come onto land during the breeding season.
But given his youth and age,
he doesn't stand a chance
against a full-grown bull.
He might even have tried to haul out
on one of the breeding beaches
but even if he did,
the bulls would have chased him away.
Which is why we see him
menacing the locals of Tasmania.
Oh and now we're mad at this traffic cone.
Oh...oh it's an evil traffic cone!
(background music) (KP laughs)
So yeah, poor Neil -
he can't hold his own against a big male
so he's gonna take on this traffic cone instead.
(background music)
And that brings me to why
myself and other wildlife experts are concerned.
Remember Freya?
She was a juvenile walrus
who became a popular attraction
in the heavily populated Oslo fjord.
(background music)
Just like Neil,
she became an internet sensation
with videos of her sinking boats
going viral on social media.
Wildlife authorities and
the Norwegian government
begged people to stay away from Freya
and give her space,
but despite these warnings,
people kept getting dangerously
close to the young walrus.
And even trying to swim with her.
(background music)
Eventually, officials determined that
Freya was a threat to humans
and so she was euthanized.
All because humans failed
to listen to repeated warnings
to stay away from her.
The same thing is happening with Neil.
(background music)
In Tasmania, the Department of
Natural Resources and Environment
and Marine Conservation Program
have repeatedly told people
to keep themselves and their pets
away from Neil.
But as you can see in these videos,
people aren't listening.
(background music) (sound effect)
But yeah, like stay away from him.
(background music)
There's just no need to be that close.
You know when...
(background music)
Do you know how zoomed in
I can get on this camera?
Like I don't need to be anywhere near
any of these creatures to get
just like a brilliant video.
Like, we have smartphones now -
there's no need to get up in there.
This is like the...
(background music)
This is like Tasmania's version of
Yellowstone National Park where people
are walking up and like, touching bison.
(background music)
(screaming in clip)
According to the TIME magazine,
there have been at least three instances
of people harassing Neil
by poking and prodding him with sticks
and even touching him,
leading wildlife officials to urge the public
to report potential acts of animal cruelty.
This has resulted in several interventions
to relocate Neil and try to
keep the seal's location private.
And this person is actually with the
Marine Conservation Program so
obviously they know what they're doing,
but you can just tell very clearly by Neil's posture
that he is uncomfortable
and angry in this situation.
But it looks like they're probably
trying to relocate him -
this is a trained professional here.
(background music) (sound effect)
As cute as Neil is, he is a wild animal.
It's also the breeding season,
where even juveniles like Neil
can be extremely aggressive and dangerous.
(background music)
He's kinda getting his little proboscis
coming in a little bit!
(background music)
Can see him inflating a little bit.
So this is posturing -
like he's definitely saying that
he doesn't want this person
to be as close as they are.
(background music) (person in clip, high-pitched voice: "What are you doing?!")
Yeah - and then he chases them.
(background music) (indistinct, but in sing-song voice)
Predictable.
(background music)
Um...just leave Neil alone.
On the other hand,
there are absolutely a lot of
positive things about Neil the Seal.
Videos of him are fun
and most of them are harmless interactions.
Neil, just chillin', just having a little belly scratch,
(background music)
in the front yard,
(background music)
sunny day,
(background music)
have a little snot on the lawn.
Beautiful.
They've brought a lot of interest
in Southern Elephant Seals,
who are a threatened species in Australia.
(background music)
Since the 1950s,
there has been an unexplained decline
in the subpopulations of Southern Elephant Seals
in the Pacific Ocean.
The reason for the decline is currently unknown.
Thankfully, the population
is currently considered stable,
and we want to keep it that way.
We want Neil to grow up
to be one of those massive bulls
who has a harem of 40 - 50 females
so that the population can continue to rebound.
(background music)
We can also use these viral videos of Neil
to showcase his species and highlight
the importance of marine mammal conservation.
We can bring attention to the
unique threats and dangers
that these seals face,
and we can use his videos
to hopefully inspire people
to take the steps necessary
to protect them by supporting wildlife projects
like the Marine Conservation Program.
We can also follow the program's guidelines
and stay 20 meters or 65 feet away
from Neil at all times,
and give him the space he needs
to simply be a seal.
(background music)
When they stand up like that, it's just wild.
(background music)
(DoubleAgentXV: "Yeah can you explain like how the posturing -
like sitting up like that - what that means?")
Standing up like that is
just very much their fighting posture,
so that's just what they do -
that's what the males do.
I don't know if the females do it or not
but that's just very quintessential
like, male fighting behavior.
There's just so much of that
that's just like instinctual, right.
You know, just - for whatever reason,
elephant seals just like to
kick the crap out of things.
(background music)
Any kind of object
that is, like, large and in their way,
they are just going to beat it into submission.
Instinctively, they are just like ass-kickers
(laughs).
I don't know how else to describe it.
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