Rabbits in Colorado are being spotted with strange, tentacle-like growths on their heads. The tentacles are caused by a relatively common and harmless virus called Shope papillomavirus.
Reports of these infected rabbits date back to 2024, when a resident posted a photo online showing the creature’s entire head covered in black, spike-like protrusions, as reported by The Daily Mail.
Residents in Fort Collins, Colorado, have been spotting the unusual rabbits while walking in their neighborhoods. The animals appear to have tentacle-like growths on their faces.
KUSA reached out to Colorado Parks and Wildlife and the NOCO Humane Society about the unusual bunnies after viral photos inspired a slew of unflattering nicknames, including “Frankenstein bunnies,” “demon rabbits,” and “zombie rabbits.” But their affliction is nothing new, with the virus inspiring ancient folklore and fueling scientific research nearly 100 years ago, accoridng to a report by The End of the American Dream.
According to one local resident, a rabbit that looks like it has “black quills or black toothpicks sticking out all around his or her mouth” has been hanging around her property. She thought that the disease would kill it last winter, but it was still alive.
The growths resemble horns or tentacles at a later stage, but start off looking more like warts than aything else.
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The virus likely influenced the centuries-old jackalope myth in North America, which told of a rabbit with antlers or horns, among other animal variations, reported the Associated Press. This particular disease in rabbits also contributed to scientists’ knowledge about the connection between viruses and cancer, such as the human papillomavirus that causes cervical cancer.
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The virus is spread by fleas and ticks, and is commonly seen over the summer months. It is only passed on to other rabbits and cannot infect human beings or other pets and animals.
This doesn’t appear to be anything “scary” or pandemic-inducing.
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