So this is a little disturbing:

An anonymous hunter shot the above cougar in Idaho. And it evidently has… horns? teeth? growing out of its head.

The hunter didn’t know it, but he stumbled across the machinations of an evil scientist creating an army of mutant animals! Maybe. …Okay, probably not.

Still, it’s a little disconcerting. IFLS has more details, but in short, no one knows what exactly is up with this twisted kitty.

Here are the theories:
“Firstly, it could be that it has a teratoma. This is a rare type of tumor that spawns a grotesque growth capable of containing hair, bone, teeth, and even parts of limbs or organs. These tumors are incredibly rare in humans, although there have been a few isolated examples in the animal kingdom among dogs, horses, and other mammals.

Second, it could be the remnants of a “conjoined twin” that possibly died in the womb and was absorbed by the mountain lion.

Lastly, it could be the result of an injury to the cougar’s teeth or jaw, which healed in an unfortunate way. Zach Lockyer, a local wildlife biologist, told Idaho State Journal that this is perhaps the least likely of the possibilities as the image doesn’t appear to show any injury or trauma around the jaw.”

So readers, what do you think caused it? Teratoma, conjoined twin, trauma, or evil scientist?