The saying “truth is stranger than fiction” applies to this newest viral big cat. A mountain lion killed in Preston, Idaho, with an extremely rare deformity is a puzzling discovery for the Idaho Department of Fish and Game. The mountain lion had visible teeth, presumably small whiskers and “hard, fur-covered tissue” coming out of its forehead.
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. Another possibility is a teratoma tumor. Teratoma means “monster tumor,” and these rare monster tumors contain tissues such such as teeth and hair that can grow independently of the host body.
Idaho Department of Fish and Game via AP
Mountain lions can be legally hunted in Idaho and are classified as big game animals, like elk and mule deer. Big game animals can only be hunted during set seasons with the right license and tag, however, a hunter can only obtain one mountain lion in any given year. This is the second time a mountain lion has gone viral in the last few months, after joggers filmed a mountain lion killing a mule deer off a hiking trail.
Idaho Fish and Game
