A seal that captured the attention of people in Beverly, Massachusetts, made an incredible journey overnight, wiggling his way towards the police station. The lovable mammal was later taken to Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut and will be released back in the open water.
Shoebert, the loveable grey seal that captured the hearts of residents of Beverly, Massachusetts, left the pond it had been swimming in for the past week early Friday morning.
A day after a concerted rescue attempt to bring the seal back to open water, Shoebert decided to just start the process himself.
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The seal, which took its name from Shoe Pond, where it had been living in recent days after getting in through a drainage pipe, made its way out of the pond and to the side door of the police station located near the Cummings Center office park on Elliott Street.
Beverly Police Chief John LeLacheur said Shoebert turned himself in around 2 a.m.
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“Not unusual for them to be on land but the fact that he actually went to the police station is just the icing on the cake to this story,” said Sarah Callan with the Mystic Aquarium animal rescue program.
The moment was caught on a surveillance camera:
The entire midnight shift of the police department, along with animal control, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's wildlife division and other officials, came to the seal's aid and were able to get Shoebert into a special wildlife carrier without incident.
The seal appeared to be in good health "and was a little sassy in the early morning hours," police said.
Shoebert was transported to the Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut for further observation and medical care before his release back into the wild, officials said.
And it turns out he's a repeat customer, Callan said. Shoebert spent time at the aquarium back in 2018 when he was rescued and tagged as a pup.
"He's not a stranger to us," Callan said. "He has come full circle. He was released in Rhode Island in 2018."
And now Shoebert will be released back in the open water again after bringing joy and happiness to Beverly residents for a week.
"I think that it's pretty amazing how the whole town has rallied behind this seal and really invested in his wellbeing," Callan said.
"We're just grateful that he was relocated," the police chief added.
"Thank you Shoebert for having faith in the BPD, you will be deeply missed by your friends here," Beverly police said. "Over the past week you have brought a lot of joy and happiness to our city. Feel free to come back and visit anytime!"
Shoebert's big escape came after wildlife officials spent a good part of the day Thursday trying to catch the seal with nets in order to remove it from the pond. The seal had taken up residence in the pond, which is located a few blocks from the ocean.
Officials had said the seal appeared to be fine, and it had drawn crowds of spectators since its first appearance about a week ago.
