Sealed ‘surrender’ at US police station after avoiding arrest in pond

A seal that made its home in a US pond has emerged outside the Massachusetts State Police Department – a day after firefighters and wildlife experts spent hours trying to catch the animal.

The gray seal was spotted at a shoe pond in Beverly, northeast of Boston, earlier this month.

It is believed that the mammal came to the pond from the sea via rivers and drains.

The seal quickly became a local attraction and was even named “Shoebert” after its chosen pond.

However, on Friday morning, Shoebert left the pond, crossed a parking lot, and appeared outside the side entrance of the local police station, “seeking assistance,” according to a police statement.

According to a Facebook post by the Beverly Police Department, the seal was quickly surrounded by wildlife experts, firefighters and the “entire midnight shift” of the police department.

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

The seal was taken to the Mystic Aquarium in Mystic, Connecticut, where marine biologists will care for it before deciding whether to release it back into the wild.

“Friends here will miss you dearly,” the police department wrote on Facebook. “You have brought so much joy and happiness to our city over the past week. Come back and visit anytime!”