Strange Creature Discovered In Ohio Finally Identified (Photo)

A mountain lion with a bizarre physical deformity was discovered in southeast Idaho.

The lion, which was found and killed near Weston, Idaho, on Dec. 30, 2015, appeared to have a set of teeth growing from its forehead, WGHP reported. 

A conservation officer subsequently inspected the animal and sent photos to Idaho Fish and Game’s regional office, where biologists were shocked by the lion’s appearance.

“It has all of us scratching our heads,” regional wildlife biologist Zach Lockyer told Idaho State Journal. “It’s a bizarre situation and a bizarre photo.”

According to Lockyer, the teeth grew out of hard tissue on the left side of the lion’s forehead — something local biologists said they had never experienced before. 

While the cause of the deformity was unknown, Fish and Game biologists speculated that the teeth could have been left over from a conjoined twin that died in the womb and was absorbed into the lion. 

The deformity could also be a rare tumor called a teratoma, which can sometimes contain hair, teeth and bones. 

Biologists ultimately attempted to contact the hunter who killed the lion in order to properly examine it.

“Our biologists didn’t get to examine it, and we’re interested in looking at this one a bit closer,” Idaho Fish and Game Region 5 spokeswoman Jennifer Jackson told WGHP.

Sources: WGHP, Idaho State Journal / Photo credit: Idaho Fish and Game via Idaho State Journal