Demon rabbits. Frankenstein bunnies. Zombie cottontails.
Phrases like those went viral this week after photos were published of rabbits near Fort Collins that appeared to have horns or tentacles on or around their heads.
Wildlife officials say the unusual-looking rabbits aren't a cause for concern. The rabbits suffer from a relatively common virus that's harmless to humans, called rabbit or shope papillomavirus. And although the growths caused by the virus can look gruesome, they often clear up on their own.
All the attention got us wondering how these cottontails caught this odd disease, why it causes such spooky-looking growths, and how the condition may have inspired the myth of the “jackalope.”
Colorado Parks and Wildlife spokesperson Kara Van Hoose joined Erin O’Toole to dispel some myths about the (mostly) harmless virus.
