Sinister Squirrels Awash in Creepy Tumors: Why Bird Feeders are to Blame

Grotesque squirrels covered in tumors and oozing sores have been alarming residents across the US and Canada. In neighborhoods from Maine to the Midwest, homeowners are reporting sickly gray squirrels cropping up in unusually large numbers. Unnervingly, social media platforms like Reddit and X buzz with disturbing photos of rodents with raw, hairless growths disfiguring their faces and bodies.

The Shocking Surge in Squirrel Sightings

In the summer of 2023, these unsettling sightings first cropped up sporadically. However, as recent months have rolled in, these alarming cases have continued to surface online, unsettling communities. Many residents have raised concerns about whether this grotesque condition is indicative of a wider outbreak of disease wreaking havoc on local wildlife populations.

What Lies Beneath the Surface

While initial murmurs pondered whether these squirrels carried squirrelpox, a rare virus in the US primarily affecting red squirrels, experts soon pointed to a more probable cause: squirrel fibromatosis. This condition is caused by a leporipoxvirus that passes between squirrels when they come into contact with lesions or saliva from infected counterparts. Like a rapid wildfire, if one infected squirrel mingles among a group, the virus can quickly jump from one to another.

Wildlife’s Viral Villain: Squirrel Fibromatosis

Squirrel fibromatosis leaves its hosts plagued with wart-like growths that occasionally burst open and ooze fluid. Although the scary appearance might send chills down one’s spine, the virus typically runs its course naturally and without medication, allowing gray squirrels to make a full recovery within four to eight weeks. As stated in Interesting Engineering, it’s a resilient disease cycle driven by interactions between infected and healthy squirrels.

Bird Feeders: A Potential Breeding Ground for Disease

Wildlife officials have flagged backyard bird feeders as potential culprits worsening this problem. Infected squirrels can smear saliva onto uneaten birdseed, which healthy squirrels later consume, thus facilitating the virus’s rapid spread across local populations. Shevenell Webb of the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife warns against becoming unwitting enablers, stressing that while bird watching is a charming pastime, it may unwittingly invite multiple squirrels to risk exposure.

The Human Perspective: Reassurance and Caution

While the sight of these afflicted animals might evoke concern, experts reassure that the virus poses no threat to humans, dogs, or birds. However, attempting to capture or handle sick squirrels is strongly discouraged. Wildlife officials advise homeowners to exercise restraint and allow the virus to naturally run its course.

A New Plague on the Horizon?

Elsewhere, the animal kingdom faces another bizarre viral attack, as Colorado’s rabbits morph into alien-like creatures with black tentacle-like growths sprouting from their heads. This phenomenon, caused by the cottontail papilloma virus (CRPV), also known as Shope papilloma virus, also fosters tumor growths and is transmitted through parasite bites, such as fleas and ticks.

Despite the unsettling appearances of these afflicted animals, wildlife officials urge homeowners to maintain limited contact with animals in their backyard and to not intervene with infected wildlife. Though grotesque in appearance, most squirrels—and even these mysterious tentacle-sprouting rabbits—can heal on their own without human intervention.