‘Frankenstein rabbits’ with tentacles coming from head reemerge as warning issued
While us Brits have been complaining about the heatwave right now, Americans appear to be dealing with something far more terrifying.
No, it's not the thought of Donald Trump handing over the World Cup trophy to any team apart from the US, or the beer shortages that are likely hitting major cities which have been flooded by fans across the world.
Instead, several states seem to be plagued by an invasion of rabbits, which would normally be cute if these particular bunnies didn't appear to have tentacles sprouting from their face and bodies.
Sadly, for any animal fans, it seems as if the rabbits are suffering from an illness known as Shope papilloma virus, which causes malignant tumours to grow predominantly on their head, leading to the nickname of 'Frankenstein rabbits'.
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We've been warned about this concerning virus in the rabbits before, but it doesn't make it any less heartbreaking or disturbing when it does occur, especially if you're unfortunate enough to come across one.
One Reddit post read: "I have never seen this. Didn't even know about this. Anyone else seeing infected rabbits like this in Minnesota?"
Meanwhile, a New Yorker penned on Facebook: "Made eye contact with this rabbit and immediately regretted it.
"All jokes aside, I reported it to the proper wildlife authorities, but this thing was gnarly."
It was back in August 2025 when the first sightings of these rabbits occurred in Colorado but it seems as if they're back again this summer, which makes sense considering how the virus is spread.
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.
How dangerous is Shope papilloma virus to rabbits?
Although the tentacle-like horns and growths are naturally alarming to see, especially if you own a pet rabbit of your own, the growths are thankfully harmless most of the time, unless they interfere with a rabbit's mouth.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) wrote: "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.
"For this reason, CPW does not recommend euthanising rabbits with papillomas unless they are interfering with the rabbit’s ability to eat and drink."
However, the warts can sometimes also progress into squamous cell carcinoma, which is a serious form of skin cancer.
Can humans catch Shope papilloma virus?
While you wouldn't want to bump into one of these bunnies late at night, you thankfully don't need to worry about contracting the virus and growing any tentacles of your own. Though it's probably best not to get too close.
Topics: Animals, Science, Health, Environment
James Moorhouse