Rabbit With Tentacles? The Truth Behind Colorado’s Bizarre Bunny Sightings
GLOBAL EVENTS
Residents of Fort Collins, Colorado, have reported sightings of rabbits with strange, tentacle-like growths protruding from their faces. Wildlife experts have identified the cause as Shope papillomavirus—a non-contagious virus that produces wart-like tumors, primarily in cottontail rabbits. While the growths can look unsettling, officials confirm the condition poses no danger to humans or other animals. They recommend leaving the affected rabbits alone and allowing them to remain in their natural environment.
Residents of Fort Collins, Colorado, have been startled by sightings of rabbits sporting odd, tentacle-like growths sprouting from their faces. Local resident Susan Mansfield described them as “black quills or black toothpicks sticking out all around” the animals’ mouths.
The unusual appearance has sparked concern and curiosity, but Colorado Parks and Wildlife has confirmed the cause as rabbit (Shope) papillomavirus—a rare, naturally occurring DNA virus that produces wart-like tumors, most often in cottontail rabbits. Experts from the University of Missouri note that while the virus is most common in the Midwest, it can also affect domestic rabbits. The tumors, despite their alarming look, are benign and not contagious to humans or other animals.
Similar cases were reported in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, in July 2022, where the same cottontail-specific papillomavirus was identified. The infection is typically spread through ticks and mosquitoes.
Wildlife officials advise residents to keep their distance and avoid interfering with the infected rabbits, as there is no cure for the virus. While the growths can appear disturbing, they pose no broader health risk. Remarkably, some infected rabbits—like one Mansfield observed—have survived and even returned to the area in subsequent years.
