Residents raise one 'major concern' after spotting 'zombie rabbit' as officials issue warning

People are voicing their concerns after so-called 'zombie' rabbits have been spotted in Colorado.

No, they are of course not actual zombies, just poor wild bunnies who've been hopping around the US state with large black growths on their faces and necks.

As photos of the creatures are continuing to circulate online, people have compared the horn-like growths to tentacles and said the animals look like 'zombies', with many dubbing them as 'Frankenstein rabbits'.

And as to be expected, the internet has completely ran away with it, spreading panic, despite experts reassuring that they are simply ill rabbits.

According to Pet MD, the bunnies are actually suffering with something called cottontail cutaneous papilloma virus (CRPV), sometimes known as shope papilloma virus.

The disease - which isn't currently present in the UK - is common in wild rabbits but in some rare cases, it can also be seen in pet rabbits, and usually occurs in the summer and autumn.

It's spread by infected mosquitoes and ticks, and causes the masses to grow, which can then turn into malignant tumours, often found on the upper half of the animals' bodies.

Pictures of 'zombie' rabbits have been doing the rounds online (Iowa Department of Natural Resources)

However, a lot of people have already set their sights on the 'zombie rabbit' theory and have been raising their worries on social media, questioning whether it can spread to humans.

One user frantically questioned on Reddit: "Someone please answer and give more information... Does it spread fast, is it even contagious or an individual disease that can't be transferred to its peers?"

Meanwhile, someone else on Twitter warned: "Zombie rabbits have been spotted in Colorado. Stay away or be infected."

And another wrote: " Holy f**k!!! It's starting with the rabbits first!!!! I don't think any zombie movie or game covered this... Resist the big eyed fluffy cuteness of death!!!"

"I don't care what they say, somebody f***ed up. That s**t will jump to people," warned another worried social media user, as another asked: "What would it take to transfer this to a human?"

Someone else chimed in with: "When you know those rabbits are secretly infected zombies that are about to spread the T-Virus but you can’t prove it yet."

Other people online have jumped in to speak some sense and express concern about the misinformation that's spreading, seemingly quicker than the virus.

Social media users are questioning whether the virus can spread to humans (Iowa Department of Natural Resources)

The virus can spread from rabbit to rabbit, but not to other species, including humans and other pets like cats and dogs.

"Groovy: Now there’ll be a Rabbit Zombie Apocalypse they’ll have the Public panicking about!" penned one person.

Elsewhere, someone else confirmed: "It's papilloma virus, no zombie outbreaks at this time," and "Been happening for decades. It isn’t new."

While you're definitely not going to turn into a zombie, officials have issued a warning for people not to get too close to the afflicted bunnies.

Even though it isn't harmful to humans, officials from Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) have told people to stay away from the infected rabbits and not to touch them.

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.”

They also noted that the rabbits can often fight the virus by themselves without human intervention but sadly, in some cases, the growths can cause the rabbits to struggle to eat, resulting in starvation.