This crazy looking mountain lion (Puma concolor) was shot by an anonymous hunter in Weston Idaho. Mountain lions also commonly known as cougars or pumas are elusive big cats of the Americas.
This unique beast was harvested and a conservation officer which inspected the animal sent a photo to the Idaho State Journal. The alarming picture initially confused and astonished the staff of the Idaho conservation office.
The photograph depicted what appears to be teeth growing like horns out of the top of the mountain lions head. The image was then passed to veterinarians and wildlife experts to help identify exactly what was going on with this animal. While several hypotheses were put forward, no consensus was agreed to.
One theory is the animal had an injury to its jaw that healed and formed in an unusual way. This theory is not likely since the image does not appear to show any signs of past injury to the jaw.
A second theory is that this puma had a teratoma or a rare tumor that creates a growth that is capable of containing heir, bone, teeth and even limbs or organs. These tumors are incredibly rare and have only been seen in a few species in the mammalian kingdom.
A third theory revolves around a conjoined twin theory which involves a conjoined twin that died in the womb and was absorbed by the mountain lion.
To resolve this mystery, officials are hoping to perform a post-mortem and take X-rays of its head. The carcass is still in the hands of the hunter who plans to take the animal to a taxidermist for preservation and stuffing.
