Bear near homes on Kilsythe Road midday June 12, 2023.

UPDATED June 16: After a juvenile black bear was sighted in town June 12, later in the afternoon it made its way to Lexington and has not been sighted since, the Town of Arlington wrote in an email two days later.

Arlington police remind residents: If you see a bear, please report it by calling 911.

This time of year -- spring into summer -- there is a lot of wildlife activity, the alert said. Arlington’s animal-control officer has compiled resources for living with wildlife.

If you received the Arlington alert about the bear June 12, no action is required.

If you did not receive such a notice, you are strongly encouraged to sign up; the town asks that you provide text and email information. The town may expand use of alerts to nonemergency activities such as overnight work and street sweeping. Sign Up to Arlington Alerts at arlingtonma.gov/arlingtonalerts

Black bear delayed public schools opening, still ran free June 12

Reported earlier: The opening of all Arlington Public Schools was delayed one hour on Monday, June 12, after a bear sighting, schools Superintendent Elizabeth C. Homan reported in an email. A bear was seen in the Little Scotland neighborhood in Arlington Heights and at Wilson's Farm in west Lexington that afternoon.

A townwide phone call reported police noting a sighting of a black bear at Paul Revere Road and Park Avenue. The call said that town animal control and state environmental police were involved  -- and noted that bears can travel great distances in a short time.

Posters on the Arlington Email List cited a tweet from Arlington police as well as their own sightings, on Scituate and Cliff streets.

"The town is working on sending a shelter-in-place message," Homan wrote. "Residents should stay inside until further information is available. Please be watchful for updates over the next few hours. If you receive no further updates, elementary schools will start at 9 a.m., and Gibbs, OMS and AHS will start at 9:30." The schools have opened since then.

After 10 a.m., a helicopter whirred over Arlington.

At 1:26 p.m., Edwin Fields posted to the email list: "Black bear spotted on Inverness Rd in Little Scotland w/in last half hour."

Just after 2 p.m, Arlington police tweeted: "The most recent sighting of the bear was at Wilson’s Farm in Lexington."

In addition, see the video shot at Wilson's by NECN >> 

At 5:15 p.m., a second phone alert from the town reported that Lexington officials and environmental police continued to monitor the bear in Lexington.

May 17, 2019: On-the-move bear removed after Stratton opening delayed

This news announcement was published Monday, June 12, 2023, based on information from various sources. It was updated later that day with police information and later still to replace a photo, as well as June 14, 2023, to add a notice from the town, and June 16, 2023, to add an ACMi video.