Zombie or Frankenstein? Strange horned rabbits appear in America

In a scene that seemed to be taken from a horror movie, a group of oddly shaped rabbits sparked a wave of astonishment and shock among the residents of Colorado, USA, after being seen with strange horns protruding from their heads, raising questions and concerns.

The circulated images of these suspicious creatures, captured in Fort Collins, about 105 kilometers north of Denver, showed rabbits with what appeared to be twisted horns or large skin growths protruding from their faces, prompting some to sarcastically label them as: "zombie rabbits", "Frankenstein rabbits", and "devilish rabbits".

However, behind this strange phenomenon lies a clear scientific explanation, according to experts.

The Colorado Parks and Wildlife agency confirmed that these rabbits are infected with a virus known as the Shope papilloma virus, a relatively common virus that affects wild rabbits, causing growths resembling warts to appear on the head and face that look like horns.

Kara Van Hoose, a spokesperson for the agency, explained that the appearance of rabbits infected with this virus is not rare, especially in the summer, when fleas and ticks that contribute to the transmission of the infection among animals are active.

The virus poses no danger to humans or pets, as confirmed by the agency, as its effects are limited to rabbits only, despite the strange and frightening appearance it causes.

This virus was discovered in the 1930s when Dr. Richard Shope, a professor at Rockefeller University, observed it while studying cotton-tailed rabbits, and named the virus after himself upon its discovery.

Although the infection is not new, it also has cultural roots; it is believed that this virus is the reason behind the emergence of the legend of the "jackalope" in North America, a mythical creature described as a rabbit with antler-like horns.

This phenomenon was later used in scientific research to understand the relationship between viruses and tumors, playing an important role in highlighting viruses such as the human papillomavirus (HPV), which is linked to cervical cancer.

Although the scene seems nightmarish, experts reassure Colorado residents: there is no need to panic, as these are not terrifying creatures from the horror realm, but victims of a known viral infection that is not dangerous to humans.