Mountain lion tries his luck at Nevada casino

RENO // An underage mountain lion has been caught after trying to slip into a casino in downtown Reno, Nevada, ahead of the breakfast rush.

Guests at Harrah's reported seeing the 100-pound cat trying to walk into the casino on Friday morning. When the animal couldn't negotiate the revolving door, it hid under an outdoor stage in a nearby plaza.

Nevada Department of Wildlife spokesman Chris Healy said the young male cat's behavior was "almost the equivalent of being a stupid teenager".

Healy said coming-of-age cougars often ended up where they shouldn't after being chased out of a territory by adults.

State wildlife officials tranquilised the roughly two-year-old cat and were planning to release it into the wild after tagging it for participation in a University of Nevada, Reno study.

No injuries were reported.