Khaberni - Mutated wild rabbits, nicknamed "Frankenstein rabbits," have caused a state of anxiety and astonishment in several American states.
These rabbits showed black growths resembling horns or tentacles on their heads and faces.
According to local reports, these cases have been spotted in states like Wisconsin, Minnesota, and New York, which sparked a broad wave of interaction on social media, with some comparing their appearance to creatures from horror movies.
However, experts clarified that this phenomenon is not new, but dates back to the papillomavirus, which has been affecting wild rabbits since the 1930s, causing the growth of solid skin tumors that may appear like horns or tentacles.
The virus is typically transmitted via insects such as mosquitoes, ticks, and fleas, starting with the appearance of small red bumps, before developing into black, horny tumors that may cover the mouth or eyes, impeding the rabbit’s ability to eat or see, and can lead to death from starvation or skin cancer in some cases.
Despite the terrifying appearance, the American environmental authorities emphasized that the virus does not transmit to humans or domestic animals, but they advised against touching or approaching infected rabbits, to avoid any indirect environmental or health risks.
Some researchers believe that this virus may have been behind the emergence of the Jackalope myth, that mythical creature described as a rabbit with horns, suggesting that sometimes reality might be stranger than fiction.
