Unusual growths have been spotted on the heads and faces of rabbits in and around the Colorado area, and sightings are continuing to grow.
The first reports of such creatures date back to 2024, where a resident of Fort Collins in Colorado posted a photo of a rabbit with the strange deformity.
The black spike-like protrusions were described by a resident as looking like “black quills or toothpicks sticking out all around its mouth”, who spoke to 9News about the sighting.
“I thought he’d die off during the winter, but he didn’t. He came back a second year – and it grew.”
The science behind these strange creatures is an infection known as the cottontail papilloma virus (CRPV), which causes tumours to grow on and around the animals head.
It spreads mainly though mosquitos and ticks, which bite the victim and alter its DNA.
The first sign of the virus is red bumps on the animal’s body, which then sprout into these black horn-like tumours.
Sometimes, they grow in such a way that the rabbit may not be able to see, hear or even eat, therefore causing eventual starvation.
Despite the virus having no known cases in humans, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) still urges the rabbits to be avoided just in case.
There has been a concern amongst residents of the area that pets could be affected, which is why it is advised to keep your rabbits away from such insects.
If caught early in a pet, the tumours can be removed before they get any worse.
US Animal control officials have not expressed great concern when it comes to human safety, saying that it does not pose a public health risk to people.
The creatures have been compared to the mythical ‘jackalope’, which is a rabbit with an antelope’s antlers.
