‘Zombie’ Rabbits Near Fort Collins? Wyoming Game & Fish Says It’s Just Warts—Not Weirdness

If your feed has been filled with photos of rabbits around Fort Collins sporting spooky black “horns,” take a breath. Wyoming Game and Fish says we’re not dealing with rabies, zombies, or alien parasites—just a common wildlife virus that can make rabbits look…jackalope-y, Wyoming Public Media reports.

Jessica Jennings, who runs the Wildlife Health Lab for Wyoming Game and Fish, says the growths are almost certainly Shope papilloma virus (SPV).

“It’s common in wildlife, it’s common in mammals. They see it in birds, reptiles,” she said. “Humans even—we have a human papilloma virus (HPV).”

The dark, antler-like projections are benign papillomas—wart-like tumors caused by the virus. They look alarming but aren’t horns and aren’t a public-health emergency.

“It’s no zombie or alien takeover,” Jennings said.

According to Jennings, the Fort Collins area is experiencing an outbreak. SPV spreads animal to animal and via biting insects like ticks and fleas, so a local flare-up isn’t unusual.

Usually, no. Wildlife officials say hands off unless a rabbit is clearly in trouble.

“Normally we just kind of let these guys go,” Jennings said. “If the amount or size of papillomas are impeding their ability to eat or see, that’s when Game and Fish would be concerned.”

In rare, extreme cases, euthanasia may be considered to prevent suffering.

Have a pet rabbit that roams outdoors? Keep an eye out and limit contact with wild rabbits; talk to your vet about parasite control to cut down on tick and flea exposure.

If the images are giving you jackalope vibes, you’re not wrong. Jennings notes that rabbits with these horn-like growths are widely believed to be part of the origin story of the jackalope myth—proof that even solid science can have a folkloric twist.

Unsettling look, ordinary cause. Leave wild rabbits be, mind your pets, and save the zombie theories for Halloween.