It looks like it could be a chimera - like beast from an ancient myth , but this bizarre cougar was in reality find oneself among the hunting community of Idaho , United States .
The cougar(Puma concolor ) , or great deal social lion , was shot in Weston , southeast Idaho , last week by an anonymous huntsman , theIdaho State Journalreports . A preservation ship’s officer who inspected the animal get off a picture to theIdaho Fish and Game’sSoutheast Regional Office in Pocatello , which surprised and confuse their stave .
The photo appears to show motor horn - like tooth turn out of the hard tissue on the quite a little lion ’s brow . Idaho Fish and Game passed the simulacrum on to their veterinarian co-worker and local wildlife experts to help identify what exactly was run on .
Although there ’s no clean consensus among them , they have a few ideas .
Firstly , it could be that it has a teratoma . This isa rarefied type of tumorthat spawn a fantastic ontogenesis adequate to of containing hair , bone , dentition , and even parts of limbs or organs . These tumors are incredibly rarefied in humans , although there have beena few isolated examplesin the brute kingdom among dogs , horses , and other mammalian .
secondly , it could be the remnants of a “ conjoined twin ” that possibly give way in the womb and was absorbed by the good deal lion .
Lastly , it could be the solvent of an injury to the mountain lion ’s teeth or jaw , which healed in an unfortunate way . Zach Lockyer , a local wildlife life scientist , toldIdaho State Journalthat this is perhaps the least probable of the possibility as the image does n’t seem to show any injury or trauma around the jaw .
“ It ’s a flaky position and a bizarre pic , ” Lockyer added . “ We may never know why those teeth are there . ”
The painter is still in the hands of the huntsman , who plan to have the carcass stuffed and preserved by a taxidermist . However , Idaho Fish and Game hope to carry out a post - mortem and perform X - light beam on the lot lion to help come to a more solid decision .
