Wellington: Like many local boys before him, Neil has come home to the part of the Australian coast where he was born. Unlike most of them, he leaves behind him fame, fans and property damage. It is also a 1,000 kg elephant seal.In June, the snarling and plump 5-year-old mammal came to land for his two-year tour of beach-side towns in southern Tasmania state after months of feeding at sea. It is now causing problems because it weighs the same as a small car and has more than twice the human population of Tasmania on social media. Its destruction through infrastructure has claimed traffic bollards, a sign warning the public about the seal, and a fence that could not survive Neal’s attempt to vault it. The rest of the time he lies peacefully in any place of his choice, which is sometimes in the middle of the road, bringing the cities he visits to a standstill. But officials say their concern is that Neal’s popularity could lead to an ill-advised man-SEAL encounter that is dangerous for both sides.Neil, the only male elephant seal to visit Tasmania in many years, has an enthralled TikTok following of 1.4 million because he acts like a jerk. During this trip to the coast, its 12th, its crimes include fighting with parked cars and breaking barriers erected to keep it off the roads. Experts say this is a common use for growing seals.Elephant seal scientist Sophia Wolzke of the University of Tasmania said juvenile male elephant seals need to practice for dominance fights, in which adults press their chests together while competing for breeding opportunities. With no other teenagers to practice with, Neil can only practice on cars.Local officials fear Neil is the latest wild animal whose social media stardom has become too good for him. “The seal’s fame is like a double-edged sword,” Chris Carlyon of Tasmania’s Department of Natural Resources and Environment said at a press conference, in which he asked seal admirers to give it privacy.“We’ve had some very silly behaviour, examples of people taking their little kids close to the Nile and just trying to get that shot for Instagram,” he said.Officials have urged the public to avoid identifying the city that Nile is currently delighting or terrorizing. They fear that a disastrous encounter between SEAL and a fan could force the Rangers to undertake a risky operation to take him elsewhere. In a 2023 episode, a walrus named Freya, which attracted huge crowds in Norway, was euthanized by authorities after she deemed it a threat to human safety. “Here’s the risk of loving Neil to death,” Carlyon said. AP