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BEVERLY, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — When Beverly police checked their surveillance footage early Friday morning they didn't expect to see their neighborhood seal waiting to come inside.
The seal who goes by "Shoebert" turned himself into Beverly police after waddling about 300 yards from Shoe Pond, across the Cummings Center parking lot, to the gate of the police station.
"The officers who monitor the gates and cameras noticed he was out there looking to come in," John LeLacheur, Beverly Police Chief told WBZ's Karyn Regal.
He said Shoebert is a repeat offender. The seal is tagged and has a history of ending up in places he shouldn't be and running from authorities. "He had an injury and he knew how to evade capture, so we say he learned from his past experiences," Chief LeLacheur said. Shoebert also had an incident in 2018 on Cape Cod.
"The security personnel from Cummings property called the station and said 'here comes Shoeburt, he's coming across the parking lot'," Chief LeLacheur said.
Last week, Shoebert traveled through a culver to Shoe Pond where he spend a week swimming and eating fish while residents watched their new neighbor from a distance.
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"Thank you Shoebert for having faith in the BPD, you will be deeply missed by your friends here. Over the past week you brought a lot of joy and happiness to our city. Feel free to come back and visit anytime!" Beverly Police said on Facebook.
After making his way to the police station, Shoebert was transported to the Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut for observation and any needed medical care before he will be released back into the ocean, according to Beverly PD.
WBZ's Karyn Regal (KarynRegal) has more:
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