It’s not as friendly as we thought.
People were flocking to a location in an Australian city to catch a glimpse of a rare 400kg animal that was busy sunbathing. The massive seal, nicknamed Neil the Seal by locals, was parked in Hobart since it went out of the River Derwent.
The sea animal usually lives 1550km south on Macquarie Island, so his appearance is quite rare, and his unique predicament of bathing in the sun in the middle of a public place has led to curious minds trying to take photos or give the animal some attention. However, experts worry that the public can cause problems for the seal— and it may retaliate. “As soon as you give them a name, people think of them as being like humans. It creates a problem of thinking he’s a lovely and cuddly, but he’s not — he’s a 400kg wild animal who could kill you,” antrhozoologist Dr Bruce Englefield told Yahoo News Australia.
Authorities are also echoing his thoughts, issuing warnings and stopping people from flocking to the animals. Leave the seal alone, they campaign. It’s just trying to rest and is trying to get some peace.
Image credit: Pulse/Supplied