Yet more cute animals have caused concern in the US over strange growths which really shouldn’t be there.
It hasn’t been long since ‘Frankenstein’ rabbits with black tendrils covering their faces started hopping around in Colorado.
And now squirrels covered in oozing sores have been spotted in gardens across the US and Canada.
The first instances of these ‘zombie squirrels’ date back to 2023, when a homeowner took pictures of several grey squirrels covered in tumours in their yard.
The hairless growths have been seen to ooze pus and they can appear on most of the squirrels’ body from their head and eyes to their legs and genitals.
But the number of sightings has exploded in the past month, Daily Mail reports – but this could be because more squirrels are out and about gathering food for the winter, wildlife experts say.
And it’s feared leaving bird feeders in the garden for both birds and squirrels to eat from could be helping the illness to spread.
While there isn’t an official verdict on what the squirrels are suffering from, experts suggest it’s likely squirrel fibromatosis, a common virus which causes wart-like growths which usually heal on their own.
Shevenell Webb from the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife said: ‘Like a lot of people, I love watching birds. Unfortunately, you can attract multiple [squirrels] to that feeder and risk exposure if one has the virus.
‘It’s like when you get a large concentration of people. If someone is sick and it’s something that spreads easily, others are going to catch it.
‘I would not recommend trying to capture a squirrel that has the virus. It is naturally occurring and will run its course in time.’
While wildlife experts haven’t confirmed whether the new sightings are cases of fibromatosis or the less common squirrel pox (SQPV), it’s far less likely that squirrel pox is the culprit.
SQPV is a systemic condition that often results in death among red squirrels, who are more vulnerable to the virus.
It’s more common in the UK, as there are more red squirrels there compared to the US and Canada.
Thankfully, once a squirrel contracts fibromatosis, they tend to recover fully and the condition doesn’t tend to come back.
It can take up to eight weeks for a squirrel’s immune system to rid itself of the virus, but it could take longer for larger or additional infections to heal.
This means the very same animals who are suffering with the illness this year will probably be cured by the time summer comes around next year, with no growths in sight.
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