THIS IS NOT A RABBIT DEPICTED IN COLORADO. Vadnais Heights, Minnesota, Eastern Cottontail rabbit, Sylvilagus floridanus, Rabbit with the papilloma virus (CRPV), or Shope papilloma virus, which is a type I virus under the Baltimore scheme, possessing a non segmented dsDNA genome. It infects rabbits, causing keratinous carcinomas, typically on or near the animals head. (Photo by: Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Somebody get the directors of ‘The Lastof Us’ on the phone STAT!A group of rabbits in Colorado with horn-like growths pushing out their heads is going viral. While the cottontails look like they’re straight out of a low-budget horror film or series, scientists are saying we can keep calm! At this time, there’s no reason to be shook! It turns outthe furry creatures have a common virus.
The rabbits recently spotted in Fort Collins are infected with the mostly harmless Shope papillomavirus. The virus causes wart-like growths that protrude from their faces like metastasizing horns. News about the rabbit sightings in Fort Collins, 65 miles (105 kilometers) north of Denver, started getting attention after residents spotted them around town and posted pictures. Now, the viral photos have inspired a bunch of unflattering nicknames, including “Frankenstein bunnies,” “demon rabbits” and “zombie rabbits.”
Despite the nicknames, this condition is nothing new to the cottontails. In fact, the virus inspired ancient folklore and fueled scientific research nearly 100 years ago. For example, the virus is likely to have influenced the centuries-old jackalope myth in North America. The myth tells of a rabbit with antlers or horns, among other animal variations.
In the scientific world, the disease in rabbits also contributed to scientists’ knowledge about the connection between viruses and cancer, such as the human papillomavirus (HPV) that causes cervical cancer. Experts named the virus afterDr. Richard E Shope, a professor at The Rockefeller University who discovered the disease in cottontails in the 1930s.
On Wednesday, Kara Van Hoose, a Colorado Parks and Wildlife spokesperson, told The Associated Press that the agency has been getting calls about the rabbits in Fort Collins.
However, she said it’s not uncommon to see infected rabbits, especially in the summer. That’s the season when the fleas and ticks that spread the virus are most active. The virus can spread from rabbit to rabbit but not to other species, including humans and pets.
Van Hoose confirmed that growths resemble warts. But if they grow longer, they can look like horns. The growths don’t harm rabbits unless they grow on their eyes or mouths and interfere with eating. Rabbits’ immune systems can fight the virus, and once they do, the growths will disappear.
Associated Press writers Ben Finley and Colleen Slevin contributed to this report via AP Newsroom.
