Seal that lived in a town’s pond for a week captured after waddling to police station

Last week, citizens of Beverly, Massachusetts, noticed something in their town’s pond.

The Boston Globe reported that Shoebert the seal showed up over the weekend in Shoe Pond. On Sept. 22, fire crews and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) attempted for hours to rescue him, but to no avail.

Well, early in the morning on Sept. 23, Shoebert decided to venture out of the pond and found his way to the Beverly Police Department.

Police said on their Facebook page that the animal waddled up to a side door of the station around 2:30 a.m. looking for some help.

“Within a short period of time, the entire midnight shift, Beverly Animal Contol, Members of NOAA, International Fund for Animal Welfare and the Beverly Fire Department all came to the rescue of Shoebert,” the department said on Facebook.

The department said they were able to get the displaced seal into a wildlife carrier and transported it to the Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut.

“Shoebert appeared to be in good health and was a little sassy in the early morning hours,” the department said.

Police said he’d be evaluated at the aquarium before he’s released back into the wild.

“Thank you, Shoebert, for having faith in the BPD. You will be deeply missed by your friends here,” the department said. “Over the past week, you brought a lot of joy and happiness to our city. Feel free to come back and visit anytime!”

By Sarah Rogers, Scripps National.