Do not touch,’ Alert issued as ‘Frankenstein’ rabbits with tentacles spread across US
‘Do not touch,’ Alert issued as ‘Frankenstein’ rabbits with tentacles spread across US
A normal cottontail rabbit with the virus. The first signs of SPV would be raised red spots on the skin
A virus is causing rabbits in parts of the US to develop horn-like and tentacle-shaped growths on their heads, with sightings increasing in Fort Collins, Colorado.
Reports date back to 2024, when a local resident posted a photo online of a rabbit with its head covered in black, spike-like protrusions.
Susan Mansfield told 9News she recently saw a rabbit with black spines or “quills” around its mouth.
“It looked like black quills or black toothpicks sticking out all around its mouth,” she said.
“I thought he’d die off during the winter, but he didn’t. He came back a second year and it grew.”
The rabbits are infected with the cottontail papilloma virus (CRPV), also called Shope papilloma virus, which causes tumours to form on or near the head.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) has warned people not to touch infected rabbits. While CPW does not believe the virus can spread to humans or pets, it is urging the public to avoid the animals and not attempt to help them.
Although most recent cases have been in Colorado, researchers say cottontail rabbits across the Midwest can also become infected. The virus is mainly spread by mosquitoes and ticks that bite an infected rabbit and pass it on.
It rarely spreads through direct contact between rabbits, and there are no known cases of humans being infected through insect bites.
Early signs of the virus include small red bumps on the skin, which develop into wart-like tumours. Some of these become keratinised papillomas, the horn- or tentacle-like growths seen on infected rabbits. In some cases, the warts turn into squamous cell carcinoma, a form of skin cancer that can be fatal if untreated.
Pet owners are advised to keep rabbits away from mosquitoes and other pests. If a pet rabbit is infected, veterinarians can surgically remove tumours before they become cancerous. Some growths heal naturally, but in wild rabbits, they often grow larger over time. In severe cases, the tumours can stop a rabbit from eating, leading to starvation.
According to PetMD, the growths usually develop on the ears, eyelids or other parts of the head, sometimes impairing sight or hearing.
On social media, some people have suggested euthanising infected rabbits to prevent suffering.
“Is it more humane to kill them when [they’re] like that or just leave them alone?” one Reddit user asked.
Animal control officials say the virus poses no public health risk and recommend leaving infected wild rabbits alone.
Stories of horned rabbits have long been linked to the mythical “jackalope” – a rabbit with antelope antlers – with illustrations appearing in publications as far back as 1789.
