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 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.”
