'Frankenstein' rabbits with face tentacles trigger urgent warning from experts

People were left struggling to decide between calling a vet, an exorcist, or the police after spotting a number of peculiar-looking rabbits roaming around.

These lot look like they're straight out of a horror film, and have even been compared to 'Frankenstein' due to the terrifying tentacles sprouting from their faces. Put it this way: they don't look like your average fluffy bunny - and as you can imagine, the source of these bizarre growths has been a hot topic among social media users.

A host of people took to Reddit to share their thoughts when snaps of the deformed animals started going viral, with one person dubbing the wild rabbits a 'nightmare/alien/zombie sort of thing'.

Quite the valid description, to be fair; the pictures seem to show strange horn-like black growths coming out of their fur and obstructing their face, and the way they catch it is more common than you'd think.

These rabbits are roaming around the city of Fort Collins in the US state of Colorado, and they aren't exactly easy on the eye. Animal experts have now warned people not to touch the rabbits, as they are believed to be suffering from a specific virus.

Here's everything you need to know on the condition - including whether humans can catch it, and how dangerous it is.

What is shope papilloma virus?

The appearance of the animals has alarmed a host of social media users (Reddit)

Shope papilloma virus (or CPRV) is a viral disease which causes malignant tumours to grow on rabbits, predominantly on their heads, according to experts at Pet MD.

It typically causes 'raised, red, and rough' lesions which are usually larger than one centimetre in length to sprout from their fur - making for quite the spine-chilling sight.

These growths also commonly appear on the ears, eyelids, neck, shoulders, abdomen, thighs, and even feet of rabbits, before they transform into black tumours which are known as keratinised papillomas.

How dangerous is shope papilloma virus to rabbits?

Although they are usually harmless, the warts can sometimes also progress into squamous cell carcinoma, which is a serious form of skin cancer.

Shope papilloma virus outbreaks usually take place during the summer and autumn, so those with domesticated or pet rabbits have been urged to keep them indoors to be on the safe side.

According to Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW), the tumors don't interfere with bunnies unless they block their sight and mouth.

Infected wild rabbits have been roaming around Fort Collins, Colorado (Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

"The growths have no significant effects on wild rabbits unless they interfere with eating/drinking. Most infected cottontails can survive the viral infection, after which the growths will go away," it writes.

"For this reason, CPW does not recommend euthanizing rabbits with papillomas unless they are interfering with the rabbit’s ability to eat and drink."

How do rabbits get infected with shope papilloma virus?

Bunny boffins reckon that the animals end up with this type of papilloma virus after biting infected insects such as mosquitoes and ticks. Rather than the illness being passed from rabbit to rabbit, it's these pesky bugs who are really to blame for spreading it.

As the population of these creepy crawlies hits its peak during summer and autumn, outbreaks become more common at this time of year.

Experts at Pet MD say prevention is better than cure in this case, and they've advised people to keep their pet rabbits away from pests to prevent them from catching shope papilloma virus.

Can humans catch shope papilloma virus?

The animals have been spotted with black tentacle-like growths sprouting from their fur (Reddit)

If you're worried about a load of black tentacles suddenly springing from your face, don't be, as thankfully, experts say that humans cannot contract shope papilloma virus.

However, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) are still urging people who encounter any infected wild rabbits not to get up close and personal with them, WLBT3 reports.

One local who had a run in with one of the 'Frankenstein' bunnies said the so-called tentacles looked 'like a scabby-ish-looking growth over their face' when they caught sight of them.

Susan Mansfield, another resident who also came across one of the alarming-looking animals, added: "[They] look like it was black quills or black toothpicks sticking out all around his mouth."

You certainly don't want to bump into one of these wild rabbits down a dark alley, anyway.