Experts Warn Public To Avoid Rabbits With Dangerous Head Growths In Colorado
'Frankenstein' rabbits with horrifying head spikes have been sighted in the United States of America. According to a report by the New York Post, these bunnies feature a terrible-looking set of spikes emerging out of their face. The report also claimed these black and dangerous spikes in cottontail rabbits are caused by a rapidly spreading virus.
These Frankenbunnies with tentacle-like growths out of their heads were spotted by the locals in Fort Collins, Colo. One of the residents, Susan Mansfield, told 9News that she saw a rabbit with what appeared to her as 'black quills or black toothpicks sticking out all around his or her mouth."
Mansfield confirmed she had seen the rabbit the previous year, thinking it would've died by now. 'I thought he would die off during the winter, but he didn't. He came back a second year, and it grew," the woman said. Another local described the infected cottontail rabbits as carrying 'a scabby-looking growth over their face."
Experts Alarmed By 'Frankenstein' Rabbits With Dangerous Black Spikes
The head spikes observed by these locals are indeed a sign of cottontail papilloma virus, which is also known as Shope papilloma virus that results in sprout tumours emerging around the head of the cottontail bunny. According to Pet MD, the virus spreads through parasites like ticks and fleas, passing on the ailment by biting the little bunnies.
'Typically rabbits become infected in the warmer months of summer when transmitted by being bitten by insects like fleas and ticks," said Colorado Parks and Wildlife spokesperson Kara Van Hoose, as quoted by The Coloradoan.
Colorado may be the recent site of these bunnies with horn-like growths, but the disease is understood to have originated in the Midwest. In 2013, a Minnesota resident raised alarm bells among locals by posting a video of a tendril-ridden rabbit in his backyard, later calling it the 'Frankenstein' bunny.
Wildlife Experts Warn Against Interacting With Bunnies Carrying Spikes
US experts have been alerted by the sighting of the 'Frankenstein' bunny and have warned locals not to approach or handle any of the afflicted critters. In their report, Colorado Parks and Wildlife have clarified, however, that the cottontail papilloma virus can spread only between rabbits and is not found to infect humans or pets, which would provide relief to the concerned public.
But the little cottontail rabbits are not as lucky. While there may be instances of the virus leaving these bunnies in time, in some cases, the Medusa-like protrusions can swell and interfere with the infected carrot eater's ability to consume food, causing starvation and death.
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August 14, 2025, 12:03 IST
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Time of India
12 hours ago
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Time of India
a day ago
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