Rabbits with 'horns' growing from their heads invading the US, experts warn to stay away

Rabbits are loved by all for their small, furry and adorable beings. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association's 2022 U.S. Pet Ownership & Demographics Sourcebook, 1.5 million households in the US owned rabbits. People are always advised to adopt more of the furry nibblers, however, currently it would be better to avoid a rabbit rather than to take one home.This is because a rapidly spreading virus in the states is causing cottontail rabbits to grow black, tentacle-like growths on their heads, prompting warnings to stay away from the mutated animals.The so-called Frankenstein bunnies have been spotted numerous times in Fort Collins, Colorado. Susan Mansfield, a local resident, told 9News that she saw a rabbit with what looked like "black quills or black toothpicks sticking out all around his or her mouth."“I thought he would die off during the winter, but he didn’t,” she said. “He came back a second year, and it grew.”The so-called bunny blight is actually a disease called cottontail papilloma virus (CRPV), also known as Shope papilloma virus, that causes cottontail rabbits to sprout tumours around their heads. The virus is spread by parasite ticks and fleas which pass it on through their bites, as per Pet MD.“Typically rabbits become infected in the warmer months of summer when transmitted by being bitten by insects like fleas and ticks,” said Kara Van Hoose, Colorado Parks and Wildlife spokesperson per the Coloradoan.While the disease has been a frequent sight in Colorado, it is most prominent in the Midwest. In 2013, a Minnesota resident caused much buzz after posting a video of a tendril-ridden rabbit in his backyard, which he called "Frankenstein" bunny and compared to the mythical Jackalope.Considering the prominent CRPV sightings, wildlife experts have warned people to stay away from the rabbits and avoid handling any of the affected critters.It is important to note that the virus is only transmissible between rabbits and is not known to infect humans.People with bunnies as pets must be protective of their health as the disease is more severe in them and can develop into squamous cell carcinoma- a serious and fatal skin cancer.