If disturbing, stomach-twisting growths sprouting out of rabbits’ heads in Colorado wasn’t enough to freak you out, may I interest you in “zombie squirrels?”
People across the US and Canada have been reporting sightings of squirrels covered in strange, sometimes bleeding lumps since at least 2023. Thankfully, these squirrels are not undead, but unfortunately, it means they are sick. It’s an illness that won’t be leaping to humans anytime soon, but you should probably keep your distance all the same.
The culprit is squirrel fibroma virus (SFV)—a poxvirus that’s been around since at least the 1950s. It’s related to smallpox, but instead of wiping out civilizations, it mostly gives squirrels big, ugly skin tumors. They’re benign, thankfully, but still nasty.
Zombie Squirrels Covered in Horrific Sores Are Invading Gardens Like the Undead
Called fibromas, these tumors tend to form around the limbs and head, turning your average adorable squirrel into something you would be asked to kill a thousand times over in a Fallout game.
The virus spreads mainly through mosquitoes and fleas, although squirrel-on-squirrel contact is also a probable cause. Gray squirrels are the primary targets, but other species can also catch them.
And while the tumors look bad, and sometimes are large enough to affect vision or movement, most squirrels bounce back from them just fine. It seems a lot more serious and frankly disgusting than it actually is.
If you happen to see a squirrel covered in gross, bumpy, bloody lesions, just know it will probably be okay.
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