( CNN ) -- Massachusetts wildlife officials shot and killed an adolescent black bear that climbed a tree in a Boston suburb Sunday after attempts to tranquilize the animal failed , state officials said . The state Environmental Police agency said it killed the 100-plus-pound animal `` in the interest of public safety '' and gave the remains to a local sports club `` to salvage the meat for use by its members . '' The animal had been spotted on a railroad track early Sunday in the Boston suburb of Newton . State police briefly closed the nearby Massachusetts Turnpike while authorities tried to remove the bear , CNN affiliate WCVB reported . In a statement posted on its Facebook page early Sunday , the Newton Police Department urged people to keep away from the area : `` We do n't want him to get scared and fall onto the train tracks , '' it said . Later , via Twitter , Newton police said the bear was killed after several unsuccessful attempts to tranquilize it . The animal was a male , about a year old , and weighed between 100 and 125 pounds , the Environmental Police said . State wildlife officials had tagged it in February . About 3,000 black bears are believed to live in Massachusetts . They have been `` known to co-exist with people '' in the suburbs , the Environmental Police said in a statement . `` The black bear population has been slowly growing and expanding its range into eastern and southeastern Massachusetts . As the bear population expands and moves eastward , more black bears will be seen in eastern Massachusetts , '' it said . CNN 's Jennifer Moore contributed to this report .
The bear was spotted Sunday morning in Newton , Massachusetts . A man who lives near the area said he saw a black bear on his property and called animal control to report it. The remains were given to a sports club for meat .