US citizens are being warned not to touch 'Frankenstein' rabbits as they invade parks.
An alarming virus is transforming ordinary rabbits across the US into creatures sporting black, tentacle-like growths that sprout from their faces.
Looking like they've escaped from HBO's The Last of Us or Netflix's Stranger Things, more and more sightings of the mutated rabbits are being recorded in Fort Collins, Colorado.
Unfortunately, this nightmare scenario is entirely real. These ordinary rabbits have become infected with cottontail papilloma virus (CRPV), which causes benign but disturbing tumours to grow on the animals' heads.
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Reports of these mutated creatures date back to 2024, when a Colorado resident posted photos online showing a rabbit whose entire head was covered in black, spike-like protrusions.
"It looked like black quills or black toothpicks sticking out all around its mouth," recalled Fort Collins resident Susan Mansfield. "I thought he'd die off during the winter, but he didn't. He came back a second year – and it grew."
Now, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) is urging anyone who sees the infected rabbits to stay away and refrain from touching or helping them.
While CPW doesn't believe the virus can transfer to humans or pets, officials are taking no chances and strongly advise complete avoidance of the affected animals.
How does the CRPV spread?
Researchers warn that variations of the 'Frankenstein' rabbits could spread throughout the Midwest. Mosquitoes and ticks bite the infected cottontail animals and transport the DNA-altering condition to healthy ones.
Scientists have noted that the virus rarely spreads through direct contact between rabbits, and there are no known cases of insects transmitting it to humans through bites.
How does CRPV progress?
At first, infected rabbits develop red, raised spots on their skin which eventually turn into lumps that look a lot like warts.
These warts can develop into keratinised papillomas which are the 'horns' and 'tentacles' seen growing out of midwestern rabbits' ears, eyelids and head.
However, in some cases, the warts can progress to squamous cell carcinoma, a serious form of skin cancer that can be fatal if it spreads and isn't treated early.
While growths can occasionally heal on their own, locals report that wild rabbits in affected areas tend to develop increasingly larger horn-like protrusions over time. In severe cases, the tumours can grow so large that they start to block the rabbit's ability to eat, eventually leading to death from starvation.
Medical experts have advised rabbit owners to avoid contact with pests to prevent contracting the disease.