Viral photos of “zombie rabbits” traced to common virus, experts confirm
Rabbits in Fort Collins, Colorado, with unusual hornlike growths have caught residents’ attention and stirred online concern, but wildlife experts explain the condition is linked to a well-known virus that does not threaten humans or pets, Kazinform News Agency correspondent reports.
The animals are infected with Shope papillomavirus, which causes dark, wart-like protrusions on their heads and faces. While the growths can sometimes interfere with vision or eating, Colorado Parks and Wildlife says the rabbits generally survive the infection and, in some cases, the growths recede on their own.
Photos of the animals circulating online have fueled uneasy reactions. “That’s the most disturbing thing I’ve seen,” one commenter wrote. Another added, “If I saw this in my backyard I would’ve thought the apocalypse started.”
Experts, however, emphasize the disease spreads only among rabbits through insect bites and poses no risk to people, dogs, or other wildlife.
The virus has a history beyond today’s headlines. It is believed to have inspired the jackalope myth of antlered rabbits in North America and has been studied since the 1930s, when Dr. Richard E. Shope at The Rockefeller University first identified it in cottontails.
Kara Van Hoose, spokesperson for Colorado Parks and Wildlife, confirmed that the agency has been receiving calls about sightings in Fort Collins. It is also noted that “growths can sometimes become elongated, taking on a horn-like appearance.” The public is advised not to handle infected rabbits. Intervention is only recommended if the growths prevent the animals from eating or drinking.
Earlier, Kazinform reported that scientists in China had identified two new bat-borne viruses that could pose a serious risk to human health.