A young black bear explored the Old Port on Friday morning before being tranquilized by authorities and taken back to the wild.

Portland police responded to reports of a cub clambering in the York Street area at about 10:30 a.m. Officers monitored its movements and set up a safety perimeter to keep people out of harm’s way.

They walked along with the cub as it traipsed through downtown, ultimately making its way to the basement-level parking garage beneath the Portland Harbor Hotel, near the intersection of Union and Fore streets. 

Officers secured the area while Maine game wardens and state wildlife biologists responded. The bear was safely tranquilized around 1 p.m. and transported out of the city to be released back into the wild.