A female lion at the Oklahoma City Zoo raised concerns when she began to grow a mane. Bridget began growing the beard, which is normal in male lions and though its not unheard of it is rare. After running some tests, the zoo has finally figured out the reason behind Bridget’s mane. And no, it's not because she's a male . . .
The zoo sent blood samples to the University of Tennessee for some testing and the results make sense. Bridget has high levels of androstenedione, which is a hormone that can lead to developing male features. The vets compared her blood to samples of her sisters who don’t have a beard. The zoo thinks Bridget may have a benign tumor that’s messing with her hormones, but other than that the lioness is in good shape.
Source: NY Post