'Zombie squirrels' spotted in people's gardens throughout US as experts issue response
People over in the US say they've spotted 'zombie squirrels' in their gardens, with the endearing rodents appearing to be covered in sores and missing patches of hair.
It can't be any fun for the poor little critters to be infected with such a visible disease, and according to the Daily Mail, people were spotting them roaming around in wildlife as far back as 2023.
However bad we think it looks, just imagine how much worse it would be to be a squirrel infected with what the experts think is a case of squirrel fibromatosis.
It's a virus which can be found among gray squirrels in the US and causes large visible tumours which look like warts to grow on the animal's skin, giving them the distinctive 'zombie' appearance people have noticed.
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The virus means these warts can ooze pus, and while the squirrel normally recovers, in some cases the disease will reach the internal organs and result in death for the little fuzzy creatures.
Why is the 'zombie squirrel' virus spreading?
Wildlife experts have suggested that part of the reason for the more noticeable spread of the disease is people leaving bird feeders out in their gardens.
Since it's a place for squirrels to congregate, it may be a spot where the disease is spread from animal to animal.
Can humans catch the 'zombie squirrel' virus?
Fortunately for humans, we're not affected by the virus, though experts have also warned people against touching or trying to help a squirrel affected with it, as in most cases the animal will recover in due course and there's not really a lot you can do about it.
Wildlife biologist Shevenell Webb told the Bangor Daily News that despite the squirrel's distressing appearance, they 'would not recommend trying to capture a squirrel that has the virus'.
They explained: "It’s like when you get a large concentration of people, if someone is sick and it’s something that spreads easily, others are going to catch it."
The expert explained just how people setting up bird feeders might be fuelling the spread of the virus.
She said: "You have one squirrel eating at the feeder that has the virus, and its saliva gets on the feeder of the other seeds
"Then another squirrel comes along and comes in contact with that saliva - it’s the perfect place to spread squirrel pox.
"Like a lot of people, I love watching birds. Unfortunately, you can attract multiple squirrels to that feeder and risk exposure if one has the virus."
It comes after 'Frankenstein rabbits' were also spotted in the US. The creatures are infected with the Shope papilloma virus (or CPRV), a viral disease which causes malignant tumours to grow on rabbits, predominantly on their heads.
Joe Harker