Mountain lion had teeth growing from forehead

The Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) were notified of a mountain lion attack on a dog on a rural private property. But the hunter – and game authorities – were taken aback by a fully formed set of teeth growing out of the predator’s forehead.

Mountain lions can be legally hunted in Idaho. The officer was shocked to discover whiskers and teeth growing from the cat’s forehead.

Jennifer Jackson, the regional conservation educator for Fish and Game, says it’s unknown why its deformed, but it’s possible there was a conjoined twin that died in the womb and absorbed into the other fetus. Idaho Fish and Game biologists are surprised to see the creature with such a “bizzare” abnormality before. It is also possible that deformity was a teratoma tumor.

Zack Lockyer, a wildlife biologist, told the Idaho State Journal that, while it is extremely unlikely to be the case, the unusual occurrence could be the result of a tooth and jaw trauma that healed incorrectly.

Another theory, which officials say is more likely, is that the growth is a teratoma – a rare tumor that contains extremities like teeth and hair. “It’s a freaky situation and a freakish photo”.

The lion was shot after it attacked a pet dog near the town of Weston. Idaho law does not require the hunter, who has not been identified, give up the dead animal.

“In the process of harvesting the animal we had an officer check it, and we determined something really interesting was going on”, Jackson said.

Mountain lions are common in the north-western USA region and can grow to nearly a metre in length. Wildlife officials say they have never seen a deformity like that – but have offered up several theories.