A terrible mountain lion which had teeth growing out of its forehead

A mountain lion killed in the US state of Idaho

had a set of fully formed teeth growing out of
its forehead, wildlife officials say. The lion was
legally shot dead by a hunter on 30 December.
The Idaho Department of Fish and Game says
the teeth could be the remnants of a conjoined
twin which died in the womb, or possibly a kind
of tumour. Biologists in the region have never
seen anything like this particular deformity
before, it says.
The lion was hunted after it attacked a dog near
the town of Weston, Idaho. The dog survived,
but a hunter set off in pursuit and killed the big
cat a few hours later.
A conservation officer checked the lion's body,
as required by law, and found the set of teeth,
as well as what appeared to be a set of
whiskers on the left side of the animal's
forehead.
Mountain lions, a native species of big cat, are
relatively common in Idaho. They are elusive
animals which seldom come into contact with
humans.
They are territorial and require large swathes of
wilderness to thrive, according to the US
National Wildlife Federation.
In winter, their prey species, such as deer and
turkeys, move down from the mountains to
escape colder temperatures, often gathering at
the edges of villages or towns.
This can put predatory mountain lions into
conflict with people, livestock and pets, says
the Idaho Department of Fish and Game.