Mountain Lion Seen Near The Las Vegas Strip Has Us Stumped

Listen, we've heard a lot of stories about mountain lions in the valley. Usually you seem them on the prowl on the edge of the valley towards Summerlin. But a mountain lion seen near the Las Vegas Strip? That sounds absolutely ludicrous. But it happened, and we are shook.

8 News Now broke the story of what seems like a totally unlikely scenario. A mountain lion, likely coming from the west side of the valley, traveled all the way down to Charleston and Valley View to a senior living community called Valley View by Welltower Living.

To put that in perspective, that is an over 14 mile journey from the Red Rock Canyon Visitor Center to the corner of Charleston and Valley View and just over 3 miles away from the northern tip of the Las Vegas Strip (which ends at SAHARA Las Vegas, no matter what you say).

One of the citizens of the community saw something moving on his security camera. He did a double take and saw the big puffy table. That's not a puppy. The man called out for his wife, who was out walking their tiny dog. Thankfully she got back in and didn't become a chew toy.

Mountain lions are nothing to be messed with. They can jump outwards and upwards from a standstill quite a distance.

This is the point in the article where we tell you how to handle a mountain lion that charges you. Because, lets face it, if there can be a mountain lion seen near the Las Vegas Strip, they can be anywhere.

Two words: fight back. This isn't a "lay there and play dead" situation. The National Park Service says act intimidating, make yourself big, and fight back if you're left with no other choice. Woof.

All we want to know is how could there be a mountain lion seen near the Las Vegas Strip in the first place? You mean to tell us it walked down Charleston, past Red Rock Casino, past Boca Park, past a Walmart and more? Most pedestrians can only successfully cross 3-4 major roads before being hit in the city. This is shocking.

So, get ready to bulk up and get your growl ready. Mountain lions are now at the center of the city and we want our mommy.

Nevada Mine tours are very popular, and a lot of fun. It's a cool experience - especially in the summer. Though they may not be for everyone.

In Pennsylvania, some tourists got the full experience when they decided to do a mine tour. Probably not the experience they were expecting. But all is well.

54 people got trapped in a coal mine in Lackawanna, Pennsylvania. It took a few hours, but everyone was brought out of the mine safely.

There was some sort of mechanical problem, and they all had to come up through an emergency capsule. The Lackawanna Pennsylvania Coal Mine Foreman, Edmund Neidlinger, said, "I'm here eight years and never had to use it." About 15 years ago they broke an axle on the mine car, and that was the last time they used it.

Neidlinger, controlled the mechanism that lifted the emergency capsule up and down. It only fits about three or four people at a time, so it took about two hours to get everyone out. But they all got out, and everyone is just fine.

It was just a fluke, and there was no danger, The kids on the tour had fun. In fact, so much fun, that they wanted to go back down and do it again! They also got coal from the coal guy down in the mine, so - win, win.

Mine operators say they will figure out what caused the problem, and the mine car will be repaired.

I've done several Nevada mine tour, and they are so interesting. If you're heading to, or live in Nevada, they are a great day trip, or weekend getaway.

If you want to experience a mine tour - without the excitement of getting stuck - there are several to experience in Nevada. And they really represent the history of our great Silver State. Here are some Nevada Mine Tours that are well worth a visit.

They say Eldorado Canyon is probably the oldest, richest and most famous gold mine in Southern Nevada. It ran from 1861 until 1942. Steamboats on the Colorado River were the main way to get there for 40 years. There are mine tours, it is great for photo shoots, and has also been used in movies. It's also a great place to have a wedding! It's a quick day trip from Las Vegas. Two miles past the little town of Nelson, Nevada, on highway 165.

First staked out in 1859, Virginia City’s Chollar Mine was one of the leading producers of gold and silver. It hauled out about $17 million in gold and silver. Virginia City is a really cool place to visit to begin with. A lot of rich Nevada old west history. Many haunted attractions, many just plain fun attractions. And the Chollar Mine historic mine tour is a a really interesting tour.

What better way to do a tour, than doing a saloon first - then going into a mine. Ponderosa Mine tour is only about a half hour long. It features a hundreds of  pieces of equipment on display. Ponderosa Mine has been stabilized and retrofitted to feel like a museum. A unique, and fun tour. Read about its history here.

This is more of a mining park. It has restored mining equipment, historic exhibits, a self-guided tour, and a guided ATV tour. There is small movie theater, and mineral displays that are lit with black lights to enhance the sparkle. There is an underground mine tunnel you can walk down. The Burro Tunnel is definitely not for everyone, but it's quite intriguing! And there is a steel viewing cage that looks down a 500′ foot deep stope. Yes, a stope, not slope.