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What are 'Zombie Squirrels'? Infected animal with oozing pus reportedly invades homes across the US

Pictures of Zombie Squirrels went viral as people reported seeing infected animals in their backyard
posted by Madhurima Roy
Monday 8/18/2025 at 2:27AM EDT
  • Squirrel (Photo by Harry Trump/Getty Images)
    Squirrel (Photo by Harry Trump/Getty Images)

    Images of zombie squirrels have gone viral on Reddit and X as netizens wondered why the animals in their backyard developed warts with oozing pus. The pictures also showed the infected animals had bald spots on their fur.

    The zombie squirrels first went viral for their appearance in June 2023 on Reddit. At the time, Shevenell Webb, wildlife biologist and furbearer specialist at the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, told the Bangor Daily News that the animals were likely infected by the leporipoxvirus and had squirrel fibromatosis, also known as squirrel pox.

    Webb told the news outlet that it was a common disease for the animals, especially the red squirrels. She advised that humans shouldn't touch them, even though humans and our pets cannot get infected. The wildlife biologist stated that since squirrels carry rabies, it is better to keep a distance from them.

    Shevenell Webb shared that the disease would "run its course" on the animal, and usually, they heal by themselves. However, their organs could get infected in some cases, and it could result in death. She claimed that the virus spreads among squirrels as they touch other squirrels when they eat from feeders.

    "I would not recommend trying to capture a squirrel that has the virus. It is naturally occurring and will run its course in time... 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 say it's super common here. But it's also not rare, we see it popping up from time to time," Shevenell Webb stated.

    Along with zombie squirrels, "mutated rabbits" went viral this month

    In August 2025, pictures of rabbits with horn-like growth went viral on social media platforms. The netizens were seemingly surprised and called them with different names such as "demon rabbits," "Frankenstein bunnies," and "zombie rabbits."

    "Well those zombie rabbits remind me a lot of resident evil sh*t so it looks like it was about to happen not what I expect in this timeline. Definitely not on my bingo card," one X user wrote.
    "That 'zombie rabbit' sh*t is the most unsettling thing I've seen in a long time man. lol I saw somewhere they're saying it's harmless but I don't like that sh*t at all, we gonna end up in the plot of The Last Of Us smh," another netizen added.

    According to CNN's August 14, 2025, report, a particular species of rabbits was infected with Shope papilloma virus, which is also known as cottontail rabbit papilloma virus or Kappapapillomavirus 2. Fleas and ticks play a big role in spreading the virus.

    The virus causes cancerous lesions on the infected rabbits and creates the horn-like growths on their heads. The disease gets better by itself, and the rabbits' heads return to normal with time. The condition has no effects on humans or other animals. However, humans are advised by wildlife experts not to touch the infected rabbits.

    Stay tuned for news.

    TOPICS: Squirrels, Reddit, Viral, X