Someone squealed — and now the seal is in custody.
Southampton Town Police captured a live seal early Sunday morning after receiving a 9-1-1 call about an aquatic mammal on the loose in the parking lot of the Thrifty Beverage Center off Rt. 24 in Suffolk County, according to a statement.
The seal-out-of-water initially evaded capture — fleeing southwest across Lake Avenue towards a nearby hotel, police said. Cops eventually apprehended the creature, which they identified as a juvenile harbor seal, scientific name Phoca vitulina.
Photos showed the seal waddle across along the sidewalk.
The seal-out-of-water initially evaded capture.
Cops identified the animal as a juvenile harbor seal.
The seal was on the loose in the parking lot of the Thrifty Beverage Center.
Photos showed the pinniped mammal waddle across along the sidewalk and into the multi-lane roadway and a nearby traffic circle.
“The animal was detained by patrol officers and taken into custody by the Riverhead Foundation,” the Southampton Town Police Department said in a statement.
“Seal is being evaluated and cared for by the Riverhead foundation and will be released at a future date.”
