Did you hear about the mountain lion who went to the mall?

Officers tend to a mountain lion after it was tranquilized after it wandered into the parking lot of a mall in Temecula, Calif. Image by (AP Photo/Joe Fanaselle)

Temecula, California got a bit of a shock when a 100lb mountain lion wandered towards the local shopping mall on Friday morning.

The authorities were called when the male cougar was seen at a loading dock at Macys at Promenade Mall at Temecula, about 50 miles north of San Diego.

A mountain lion rests on the back of a truck after it was tranquilized after it wandered into the parking lot of a mall in Temecula, Calif. Image by (AP Photo/Joe Fanaselle)

The cat was tranquilised by officers from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, but unfortunately died while being subsequently transported. A necropsy is being conducted to determine the cause of death.

A recent study by the University of California found that the wild cats’ territories are under pressure from urban sprawl and this is the third time in a year that a mountain lion has wandered into a city centre area. Read more: Yahoo News