What sounds like something straight out of The Last of Us, the residents of Fort Collins Colorado have been noticing something quite strange in recent weeks. As if you needed any additional nightmare fuel to keep you up at night, worrying about the impending apocalypse, there have been mutated rabbits with what people have described as tentacles, spikes, or horns growing from their heads.
One resident described it as black quills or black toothpicks sticking out all around its mouth. While people may have all sorts of theories, interestingly enough, this is actually caused by a virus. These rabbits are infected by the cottontail papilloma virus (crpv), which is also known as Shope Papilloma Virus (spv).
Colorado Parks and Widlife are encouraging anyone who sees infected rabbits to stay away and do not touch them. They don't believe that the virus can move to different species, but there's no reason to take any unnecessary chances, unless you're interested in being patient number one. Don't try to capture them, or come into contact with them in any way.
The virus is spread mainly through tick or mosquito bites, and is rarely transferred through direct contact of the rabbits. There are currently no known cases of insects infecting people through a bite. The virus starts with red, raised spots on the skin that eventually turn into wart-like tumors. These are what eventually turn into the horns or tentacles that people report seeing. According to the experts, they say that it's not necessarily dangerous for the animal unless it develops around the eyes, ears, and mouth preventing them from seeing, hearing or eating.
It's believed that rabbits infected with this virus are the source of the legend of the Jackalope, which is American folklore about a wild rabbit with antlers or horns. The myth has been perpetuated with taxidermy mounted rabbits with deer antlers, wild hunting stories, and of course Dave Coulier in the 90's.