UPDATED: The bear that roamed through Arlington early Friday, May 16, and may have crossed Mass. Ave. in its travels, has been removed from town after it was tranquilized in the Morningside area and climbed down a tree from a height of 35 feet.
At a 1 p.m. news conference at the town police headquarters, Christine Bongiorno, head of town health and human services, told media representatives that a bear siting in town is a “rare event.” She said bears have recently been seen recently in Bedford and Lexington.
A resident reported that this bear was seen early Friday on Walnut Street. Bongiorno said the first call to police, at 6:30 a.m., was from a Osceola Path home, saying a bear was high in a tree. If the animal went from Walnut to Morningside, it would have had to navigate crossing Mass. Ave.
The Massachusetts Environmental Police were called, and town police blocked off Overlook at Washington Street. A helicopter circled.
The disruption led Stratton principal Michael Hall to delay the school opening an hour. Of course, some students were already on their way.
Bongiorno said the bear was tranquilized and then climbed down, where police secured it and related it “to woods.” She did not know the location. Arlington police twitter reported it is “Western Mass.”
See photo and screen grab at BostonGlobe.com >>
Channel 25 News reported that “a viewer spotted the bear cruising through the Walnut Street area Friday morning and a Boston 25 photographer saw the bear cross Ronald [Road].” If accurate, that means the bear cross Mass. Ave.
WCVB Channel 5 reported that, at some point, the bear climbed a tall tree behind an Osceola Path Arlington home.
David Valdes Greenwood, who lives in the area, photographed the animal walking across a neighbor’s driveway around 6:45 a.m., WCVB reported. He said the bear also tipped over his trash can.
The animal has blue tags in both of its ears.
Meanwhile, the Boston Bruins are on the move, too, headed to the finals of the Stanley Cup.
This news announcement was published Friday, May 17, 2019, and updated the same day.
