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The harvested mountain lion migh have suffered from a teratoma.
BEACON TRANSCRIPT – Following recent event, here is a news update on the deformed yearling mountain lion, legally harvested in the region of Idaho. On the 30th of December, Idaho’s DNR has registered an unusual mountain lion specimen, after a hunter came in to declare the game.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with the subject, here are a couple of details concerning the unusual prey. Back in December, a local farmer has reported that his dog was attacked by a mountain lion in the Preston area.
A couple of hours later the hunter, who didn’t want to disclose his name, had begun to track down the marauding mountain lion. Following the mountain lion’s tracks, the hunter and his pack of hunting dogs managed to corner the feline somewhere in the foothills.
Eventually, the hunter managed to harvest the animal. He then reported that his dog survived the encounter with the aggressive feline.
After harvesting the animal, the hunter submitted the trophy to the nearest harvesting unit. The members of Idaho’s Fish and Game department who were there to process the request were baffled by the deformed appearance of the mountain lion.
Many of them declared that they haven’t seen something similar. Many speculations have been emitted since the hunter brought the animal to the processing unit. Two of them seem plausible enough.
The harvested yearling mountain lion might have grown up in the womb with another sibling. Something may have occurred during the lion’s gestation that could have killed his sibling. This deformity might very well be the result of the lion’s body trying to absorb the remains of his twin’s fetus.
News update on the deformed yearling mountain lion. According to a second theory, the harvested feline could have contracted a rare condition named a teratoma.
According to several key studies, a teratoma is, usually, a benign gigantic tumor, that contains traces of tissue, and, in some rare case, fully-grown and functional organs. This theory seems to be more plausible with the ranger’s finding.
The members working for Idaho’s DNR have discovered traces of fur, teeth and whiskers on the feline’s head and forehead area, which makes the teratoma theory much more plausible.
Mountain lions are considered to be solitary felines, thus, the odds of encountering one in the wild is slim at best. However, during the winter seasons, domestic animals tend to seek the high ground in hopes of escaping from the cold. By doing so, they become easy prey for mountain lions.
Hunters who worry for their poultry are permitted to hunt and harvest a mountain lion if they have a valid hunter’s permit and if the situation deems it necessary. During the hunt, with the right permit, the hunter can even be accompanied by hunting dogs.
Being included in the big game domain, mountain lions are protected by the law and can be harvested only during hunting seasons. The hunters are allowed to harvest only one specimen per hunting season.
This was the news update on the deformed mountain lion, according to which the DNR believes that the yearling might have had a teratoma.
Photo credits:www.wikipedia.org
