HORRIFYING images of ‘zombie’ rabbits with tentacles sprouting out of their heads have been circulating online – so is your pet bunny safe? The traumatising snaps have led to

The growths are caused by a rare virus named Shope papilloma virus. The virus leads to wart-like skin protrusions on rabbits' heads and faces. The virus spreads between rabbits through insect bites. Several reports have stated that it is not contagious to humans,

Experts and local officials have issued a warning to anyone who encounters a 'zombie rabbit' on their travels. People have been left concerned after spotting the poor bunnies in Fort Collins, Colorado, with strange, gnarled black growths sticking out of their face and neck.

Wild rabbits in South Dakota and Colorado have developed horn-like growths and mouth tentacles. These bunnies, now being called ‘Frankenstein’s rabbits’ online, are infected with a virus called Shope papillomavirus (SPV),

Photos of rabbits in Colorado with black, horn-like growths around their faces have gone viral, with some describing the animals as "Frankenstein-", "zombie-" and "demon-rabbits".

CPW spokesperson Kara Van Hoose told KDVR: "There’s no overt concern needed for pet owners. We would just say to keep those wildlife principles in mind when you do have them out: Keep them on leash, keep them away from wild animals just in case, but it is not something necessarily we see transferred from rabbits to dogs.”

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