Colorado, United States – A group of rabbits in the US state of Colorado suffer from deformed, horn-like growth spurts.
These rabbits look like they came out of a horror movie. However, scientists say there is no need to panic. These furry creatures are infected with a relatively common virus.
Rabbits recently seen in Fort Collins are infected with a virus known as Chubb papillomavirus. This virus is mostly harmless and causes growths that protrude from their faces like enlarged horns.
The widespread images of these rabbits sparked a wave of sarcastic nicknames, including “Frankenstein rabbits”, “demonic rabbits”, and “zombie rabbits”. However, this infection is not new. The virus inspired ancient myths and contributed to scientific research about 100 years ago.
The virus is believed to have been behind the North American legend of the jackalope for centuries. This legend tells of a rabbit with antlers or deer antlers, along with other animal forms.
The disease has also helped scientists understand the relationship between viruses and cancer. For instance, human papillomavirus, which causes cervical cancer.
The virus is named after Dr. Richard Schaub, a professor at Rockefeller University. He discovered the disease in cotton-tailed rabbits in the 1930s.
News of these rabbits appearing in Fort Collins, located 105 kilometers north of Denver, began to spread. This happened after residents began watching and taking pictures of them.
Kara Van Hoos, a spokeswoman for the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Service, told the Associated Press that the agency had received reports of rabbits seen in Fort Collins. However, she explained that seeing rabbits infected with this virus is not rare, especially in the summer, when fleas and ticks that transmit the infection are active.
She added that the virus is transmitted between rabbits, but does not infect other species, including humans and pets.
