News
Maybe it wanted to place a bet
Nevada wildlife officials recently received an unusual call for help — a mountain lion was trying to slip into a casino in downtown Reno. Could the officials come over right away, please?
According to The Associated Press (AP), guests at Harrah’s said they spotted the 100-pound cat trying to walk into the casino one morning in August. It was just before the breakfast rush, so maybe the lion was trying to beat the crowds to the buffet.
But the lion couldn’t figure out how to negotiate the casino’s revolving door, an experience many two-legged guests can probably relate to. Failing to gain entry to the roulette wheel, the lion instead hid under an outdoor stage in a nearby plaza.
Officials with the Nevada Department of Wildlife tranquilized the wayward cat. They plan to release the animal into the wild after tagging it for participation in a university study.
The incident was a first for state wildlife officials. “I’ve been here 27½ years and this one is new to me,” wildlife department spokesman Chris Healy told AP.
Healy said the cat probably didn’t mean any harm. The animal was about two years old, just a teenager by mountain lion standards. Wandering into the casino, Healy said, was “almost the equivalent of being a stupid teenager.”
