These wild ‘Frankenstein’ rabbits are looking like something out of The Last of Us.
Similar to the TV series where the infected are covered with fungal growths, these bunnies are hopping around Fort Collins, Colorado, with horn-like growths on their heads.
But the truth is, these unusual-looking tentacle things aren’t actually horns at all - they are caused by a virus called Cottontail Rabbit Papillomavirus (CRPV), or Shope Papillomavirus.
A particular strain of the virus triggers the rabbit’s skin cells to grow abnormally, forming dark, rough, horn-shaped warts, especially around the head, neck, and sometimes the mouth.
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While the pictures are very shocking, a local expert completely gets why everyone's losing their minds.
Kara Van Hoose, of Colorado Parks and Wildlife, told LADbible that 'it's taken us all by surprise at how much interest this is getting'.
"I get it, you know. You know what a rabbit is supposed to look like, and rabbits are supposed to be kind of tender. And when they have these growths coming out of their faces, you can be really shocked," she acknowledges.
"But then it’s a chance for you to learn about what’s going on.
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"And when you hear that they’re benign and that they’re not really that harmful to rabbits, then you can appreciate what’s going on and think, 'Oh, nature is pretty cool here'.
"And the fact that rabbits are kind of unbothered by it, and then it’ll eventually just go away, I think is just makes rabbits all that hardier."
How long will the ‘Frankenstein’ bunnies be around for?
Kara says the transmission cycle tends to peak in the summer because fleas or ticks cause it, as she explains: "So that's when they're the most active, that's when they're alive, and they bite these rabbits in the summer.
"In the sun, the rabbits grow these these wart things on their faces. It kind of happens every year."
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The expert insists that, for most rabbits, whether wild or domestic, their horns will generally start to drop off in the fall or winter period.
Importantly, the virus doesn't affect humans, and only two other animals can be infected by a different strain.
What other animals can be affected by CRPV?
It turns out that both deer and elk can also be affected by a different strain of the virus.
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"So, sometimes we see deer with these growths on their face, not necessarily as large, but deer have bigger faces than rabbits, so they can handle growths better," she added.
"Residents are just not bothered by it because it happens every year."
Is there a cure for CRPV?
Because it's a 'benign' virus, the rabbits are able to clear it from their system without treatment or vaccination.
"If you just give it time, it'll eventually fall off and the rabbit will be fine," Kara says.
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She further notes that there is the option to remove the wart growths with surgery potentially, 'but because it can happen naturally, I think many [vets] opt not to'.
Why the ‘Frankenstein’ nickname doesn't really make sense
"The real 'scholars' will say, 'Well, Frankenstein was the doctor and not the monster' or something like that. But, no, people have been very creative with with the names and a lot of people are saying this is where the Jackalope myth comes from," she says.
Even though the virus could spread to other states - the 'zombie' bunnies have been spotted in states like Wyoming and Kansas - Kara insists that there is nothing to worry about.
That being said, she clarifies that 'if you do own pet rabbits and you let them out in the backyard this is certainly something to be aware of that's out there'.
"But really, you can just if you open your door and then make a bunch of noise, it should scare any sort of wild rabbits that are around there," Kara adds.
Anish Vij