Neil the seal's unique lifestyle may help protect him from bird flu (opens original article in a new tab)

Neil the seal, a five-and-a-half-year-old elephant seal in Tasmania, is being monitored by authorities as his solitary lifestyle may help him avoid bird flu, which has devastated seal populations elsewhere.

• Neil the seal is a sub-adult elephant seal in Tasmania with a social media following.
• Experts suggest Neil's solitary lifestyle may reduce his risk of contracting bird flu compared to colony-living seals.
• Bird flu (H5N1) has been detected in Australia and has caused mass deaths among seal populations in other regions.