Neil the seal's damage bill and management costs revealed
The management of Neil the elephant seal in Tasmania has cost local authorities over AUD$77,000 in recent years. These expenses cover security, traffic management, and crowd control for the popular wildlife icon.
Why it matters
Illustrates the financial and logistical challenges of managing human-wildlife interactions in public spaces.
Neil the elephant seal has become a "wildlife icon", bringing immense joy to fans in Tasmania and around the world.
But keeping the bollard-bashing, traffic cone-chewing social media star safe comes at a price.
Following a right to information request, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment (NRE) has revealed its management costs over the past two years.
In total, it has spent AUD$45,674 (NZD$54,808) during Neil's four "haul-outs", including the cost of engaging security personnel as required.
However, NRE noted the figure did not include a significant portion of costs incurred during his most recent visit, because several invoices were yet to be received.
NRE Tas active management costs for Neil the seal - in Australian dollars.
NRE said at least 523 staffing hours have been accrued during the four haul-outs.
However, it said the figure did not include additional support from police or councils.
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