From Snopes:
An alternative theory holds that the creature’s altered appearance in taxidermy form was intentional and/or the result of the taxidermist’s expectation that the animal would be viewed only from a particular angle:
When seen from the side the lion actually has quite a ferocious appearance. In this context, the lion’s bizarre tongue and fake teeth make some kind of sense. Even the close-set position of the eyes seems to have been done in order to make them appear furrowed and angry. Perhaps the taxidermist simply focused too much on side-view images when mounting the pelt, or the lion was (somehow) never intended to be seen from more than one angle.
“Images” in this case would likely mean illustrations drawn by someone in some book. From the side, it kind of looks like one of those… doesn’t really explain the bizarre tongue, but the rest, kind of.
From Snopes:
An alternative theory holds that the creature’s altered appearance in taxidermy form was intentional and/or the result of the taxidermist’s expectation that the animal would be viewed only from a particular angle:
Here’s a picture from the side.
“Images” in this case would likely mean illustrations drawn by someone in some book. From the side, it kind of looks like one of those… doesn’t really explain the bizarre tongue, but the rest, kind of.
Yeah, that sounds like the most plausible explanation. It’s supposed to look like a heraldic lion passant: https://i.imgur.com/ZReMGZF.jpg