Tentacled 'Last Of Us' Style Rabbits Spotted In Colorado: Reports

Cottontail Rabbits with eeiree horn-like outgrowths from their heads were spotted hopping around Fort Collins, Colorado, according to local news reports cited by the New York Post.

These black tendrils were spotted jutting out from various parts of the rabbit's skulls, such as the mouth and the back of their heads.

Viral images of the same were widely circulated on social media in 2024.

Netizens and media reports alike remarked that this chilling infection looked very similar to the 'infected zombies' from the fictional streaming show, 'The Last of Us', based on the PS4 videogame of the same name.

It depicts humans infected by the fictional 'Cordyceps' fungus which leads to them turning into bloodthirsty zombies that attack other humans to spread the infection.

Unlike their fictional counterparts, this bizarre condition is relatively benign and is caused by 'Shope Papilloma', a variant of the papilloma virus, that creates wart-like outgrowths similar to horns to sprout from the host's body.

The only harm that may be caused would be if the horns break out from the sensitive areas of the rabbit's body, such as eyes and mouth, impeding its ability to eat and navigate its environment, leading to starvation, the New York Post reported.

There are no recorded cases of the virus transmitting to other species such as humans from rabbits. But it can spread to other kinds of rabbits and hares.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife reportedly requested residents to stay away from them and keep pets away as well as a precaution.

The virus was first discovered by and named after Richard Edwin Shope, a cancer researcher, whose research on the virus was instrumental in helping scientists formulate the first vaccine for Human Papillomavirus.