Cops don’t know if bear sits in woods

A curious black bear that made its way to Newton and climbed a tree Tuesday — prompting police to warn residents to keep their distance — then disappeared, leaving no clue of whether it’s headed back into the woods or might reappear in Boston’s suburban sprawl.

Newton police Lt. Bruce Apotheker said cops received two calls of the black bear sightings, the first about 6 a.m. Tuesday near Crystal Lake. A second came in about 9 p.m. that night reporting the bear was on Centre Street and had made its way up a tree, Apotheker said.

The sightings prompted police to tweet: “Caution Wildlife Advisory: There is a Black Bear up a tree in the vicinity of 1320 Centre St. Please use caution and avoid the area... An officer is standing by.”

Police told a contingent of media to remain a quarter-mile away, Apotheker said.

“Somewhere during the night, it took off. Where it went — nobody knows,” Apotheker said.

Dave Wattles, a black bear expert with the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, said there are an estimated 5,000 black bears in the Bay State.

He said the bears tend to make their way toward residential areas looking for food or trying to establish their own habitats away from other bears.

Male black bears can grow up to 500 pounds, he said. He added anybody who encounters the beasts should steer clear.

“Give it space. Don’t try to get closer,” Wattles said. “Bears start moving along a natural piece of habitat and then find themselves in the middle of town.”