A mountain lion in a casino? Don't roulette out
RENO, Nev. (AP) — An underage mountain lion was caught Friday after trying to slip into a casino in downtown Reno ahead of the breakfast rush.
Nevada Department of Wildlife spokesman Chris Healy says the young male cat's behavior was "almost the equivalent of being a stupid teenager."
Healy says coming-of-age cougars often end up where they shouldn't after being chased out of a territory by adults.
"It fits the classic definition of a dispersal-age male looking for a place to be," Healy said, adding the drought also could have prompted the cat to enter the downtown.
Still, he acknowledged, this wasn't exactly a typical case.
"I've been here 27½ years and this one is new to me," Healy said. "We've seen mountain lions on the fringes of Reno before, but not in downtown Reno."
Guests at Harrah's reported seeing the 100-pound cat trying to walk into the casino around dawn Friday morning. When the animal couldn't negotiate the revolving door, it hid under an outdoor stage in a nearby plaza.
State wildlife officials tranquilized the roughly 2-year-old cat and plan to release it into the wild after tagging it for participation in a University of Nevada, Reno study.
No injuries were reported.
"We're lucky this turned out as positive for the mountain lion and people at the scene," Healy said. "It would have been a different story for the cat had it succeeded in getting inside Harrah's."
Nevada Department of Wildlife spokesman Chris Healy says the young male cat's behavior was "almost the equivalent of being a stupid teenager."
Healy says coming-of-age cougars often end up where they shouldn't after being chased out of a territory by adults.
"It fits the classic definition of a dispersal-age male looking for a place to be," Healy said, adding the drought also could have prompted the cat to enter the downtown.
Still, he acknowledged, this wasn't exactly a typical case.
"I've been here 27½ years and this one is new to me," Healy said. "We've seen mountain lions on the fringes of Reno before, but not in downtown Reno."
Guests at Harrah's reported seeing the 100-pound cat trying to walk into the casino around dawn Friday morning. When the animal couldn't negotiate the revolving door, it hid under an outdoor stage in a nearby plaza.
State wildlife officials tranquilized the roughly 2-year-old cat and plan to release it into the wild after tagging it for participation in a University of Nevada, Reno study.
No injuries were reported.
"We're lucky this turned out as positive for the mountain lion and people at the scene," Healy said. "It would have been a different story for the cat had it succeeded in getting inside Harrah's."
He just wants to play. How sweet.
Gee whiz Simba! Not hard to get a fake ID these days. ;)
"don't roulette out" - groan! Â Beautiful cat, glad they are going to check his health & put him back where he belongs.
Whatever you do, don't pet that kitty more than three times or suddenly? No face.
That's a beautiful kitty!
I worked at that Harrahs in Reno,NV. And what a surprise.... I'm just glad they didn't kill it. Poor thing.. with all the fires that are happening around there.. I just decided to come to town for a meal...
Man things are slipping these days... You'd think he would at least use a fake ID or something.
Come on.
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you ever been to the emerald queen. Â plenty of cougars there....
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Cougars if you are 60 something that is!!
 @sunnysandiego Are you missing the Puget Sound. For someone so happy with S/D you seem to have a need to keep in touch with the "mossbacks". I miss Palm Springs and New Orleans, Just not badly enough to return yet. There is a touch of fall in the air this morning, our 36 day rainless streak seems about to end. The Seahawks, Cougars and Huskies will continue their endless trek to Mediocrityland, I only saw San Diego once, but what I saw of it was very scenic. Are there many nice Golf courses there? Must be off to the peninsula to gather mushrooms and moss, best wishes.L7.