Neil weighs a ton, is 5 years old, and believes he owns Seven Mile Beach, Tasmania, Australia.
During 15 days of unofficial vacation, this southern elephant seal crushed a traffic sign, knocked down ten posts, and destroyed a fence, as if he were dueling with street furniture (experts say that yes, literally, that is what he does at his age).
Clarence City Council had to devote 275 staff hours to controlling traffic, directing the crowds who came to see him, and monitoring him 24 hours a day. The final bill: 31,540.53 Australian dollars (about 20,500 U.S. dollars). And yet, Neil did not have to pay it: the council decided to forgive his debt because of his “exceptional cuteness”.
Mayor Brendan Blomeley described the expense as “relatively small” and made it clear that the real problem is not the money, but the fame: authorities have already warned that the excessive attention from visitors could endanger Neil, as many people get too close to see and photograph him.
Neil returned to the sea on his own in early July, without paying a cent and never realizing that he was, officially, Tasmania’s most expensive seal.
@neiltheseal316 #notacareintheworld #playingseal #nieltheseal ♬ Here we have Neil in his own natural habitat – Neil the Seal 🦭