URGENT UPDATE: A disturbing trend of squirrels covered in pus-filled, wart-like tumors has emerged across the United States, alarming residents and wildlife experts alike. Recent reports, including a surge of sightings on social media platforms like Reddit and X, reveal these grotesque gray squirrels in backyards from Maine to parts of Canada.
Photographs and eyewitness accounts of these so-called “zombie squirrels” have flooded social media, particularly since mid-2023. The latest wave of sightings peaked on July 31, when one concerned Reddit user shared a chilling image of a gray squirrel with a tumor on its mouth. The unsettling appearance of these animals is attributed to a viral skin disease known as squirrel fibromatosis, caused by the leporipoxvirus.
According to the Daily Mail, the virus spreads through direct contact between healthy squirrels and the lesions or saliva of infected individuals, similar to how herpes is transmitted among humans. While the virus is often mistaken for squirrelpox—common in the UK and potentially deadly to red squirrels—experts emphasize that leporipoxvirus leads to non-fatal wart-like tumors that ooze fluid.
Wildlife officials, including Shevenell Webb from Maine’s Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, have reassured the public that these squirrels pose no threat to humans, pets, or birds. “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,” Webb explained in an interview with the Bangor Daily News.
The proliferation of these infected squirrels may be linked to bird feeders, where they can leave saliva or bodily fluids on uneaten seeds, risking exposure for other squirrels. “Like a lot of people, I love watching birds,” Webb remarked. “Unfortunately, you can attract multiple squirrels to that feeder and risk exposure if one has the virus.”
Despite their alarming appearance, experts advise residents to allow the animals to heal naturally. Webb cautioned against attempts to capture infected squirrels, stating, “It is naturally occurring and will run its course in time.” Typically, the tumors resolve within four to eight weeks.
As the situation develops, the public should also be aware of another concerning viral outbreak affecting cottontail rabbits in Colorado, where rabbits are sprouting black, tentacle-like spikes due to the cottontail papilloma virus. Residents are urged to steer clear of these mutated animals as well.
This situation is unfolding rapidly, and officials are monitoring the spread of both viruses closely. Stay tuned for further updates on these unusual wildlife phenomena that are capturing attention across the nation.
