Wildlife officials in Colorado have confirmed a troubling rise in cases of shope papillomavirus, a rare disease causing wild rabbits to grow tentacle-like growths from their heads and mouths. While the condition is not new to science,

Shope papillomavirus, a common and naturally occurring virus in wild rabbits that causes wart-like growths which can resemble horns or even tentacles.Though the appearance of these animals is startling,

SEATTLE — The "Frankenstein bunnies" have been making waves across social media in the U.S. Recently, one rabbit potentially carrying the virus was spotted in a Seattle neighborhood.

W ildlife officials in Colorado are fielding calls about unusual sightings of cottontail rabbits with horn-like growths protruding from their faces. This condition, caused by a virus, is startling to see but not dangerous to people or pets.

Reports are surfacing of wild rabbits exhibiting horn-like growths due to Shope papillomavirus (SPV), or "horn disease." While alarming, these growths are usually harmless to rabbits and are not contagious to humans or other animals.

As per experts the condition is caused by Shope papilloma virus, a disease that creates wart-like tumors on rabbits, often around the head, ears, and eyelids.