According to 9News, Fort Collins rabbits are rocking a new, if slightly unsettling, look—black, tentacle-like growths sprouting from their heads and faces. Locals describe them as “toothpicks” or “quills,” and the effect is equal parts Halloween décor and nature’s punk phase. Colorado Parks and Wildlife says the culprit is a virus that causes wart-like protrusions, similar to benign tumors. While it can spread between rabbits, it poses no threat to humans, pets, or other wildlife.
The rabbits, however, might not be so lucky if the growths interfere with eating or vision. Officials urge people to resist the urge to play bunny beautician—no catching, no touching, just give them space to live their spiky little lives. Harmless to us but visually unforgettable, these critters are a reminder that nature can get weird.
