BOULDER, Colo. -- A black bear was creating quite a stir in a south Boulder neighborhood Tuesday and may be killed if it doesn't head back to the foothills on its own.

Colorado Division of Wildlife officers tried to get the bear to leave a neighborhood tree by yelling at it and spraying it with a water hose.

After four hours of coaxing, the bear climbed down from the tree it had been in but climbed back into another tree near Chambers Drive and Bradley Street.

Wildlife officers were called to the area by residents who noticed the bear at about 6:40 a.m., sitting in the tree.

The bear is wearing an ear tag, indicating it has been handled before by the Division of Wildlife. Under DOW's "Two Strikes" policy, the bear will be killed if wildlife officers have to handle the bear or tranquilize it.

About six officers were ready with rubber bullets to help chase the back into the foothills.

Claire Solohub, district wildlife manager for the DOW, said officers will act quickly to put the bear down if it heads toward a nearby boulevard or Fairview High School.

"We're doing our best to keep him alive," she told reporters.

Because of a late freeze and drought in the mountains, many bears have been wandering into cities looking for food.

Very often, wildlife officials have to euthanize bears who get too close to people because the bear may return looking for more food.

So far more than 40 bears have been killed this summer. That puts 2007 on track to break the record number of bears killed in one year.