Horrifying Zombie Squirrels

If rabbits with grotesque, antler-like growths sprouting from their heads in Colorado weren’t alarming enough, brace yourself for a new backyard nightmare: “zombie squirrels.” Across the U.S. and Canada, residents have been reporting sightings of squirrels covered in strange, bleeding lumps since at least 2023. The squirrels, with their gory skin tumors, look like creatures lifted from a horror video game. While they aren’t actually undead, their condition is unsettling—and contagious among squirrels.

What is Squirrel Fibroma Virus?

Experts say the culprit is squirrel fibroma virus (SFV), (1^✔ ✔Trusted Source
SQUIRREL POX

Go to source) a poxvirus that’s been documented since the 1950s. Unlike its infamous cousin, smallpox, SFV doesn’t threaten humans. Instead, it causes benign tumors—called fibromas—on squirrels’ heads, limbs, and bodies.

Squirrel pox is a viral disease that primarily affects red squirrels and is caused by the squirrelpox virus, a type of poxvirus. The disease produces severe skin lesions, scabs, and ulcers, particularly around the face, paws, and genital area, making it difficult for affected squirrels to eat or move.

While gray squirrels can carry the virus without showing symptoms, red squirrels are highly vulnerable and often die within weeks of infection.

The virus is spread mainly through biting insects like fleas and mosquitoes, as well as direct squirrel-to-squirrel contact.

Although squirrel pox is devastating for squirrel populations, especially in the UK where it has contributed to red squirrel decline, it does not pose a risk to humans. “These growths look far more frightening than they are,” said James Parkhurst, associate professor of wildlife science at Virginia Tech. “In most cases, the animals survive and the tumors regress naturally.”

The virus spreads mainly through mosquitoes and fleas, though direct contact between squirrels can also pass it on. Gray squirrels are most often affected, but other species may develop fibromas as well.

Why It Looks So Bad

The large, bloody lesions can obstruct vision, make movement difficult, or impair eating. This, coupled with their grotesque appearance, has fueled fear online. Social media users have dubbed the animals “zombie squirrels,” with some comparing them to monsters from The Last of Us.

One Reddit user in July wrote: “At first I thought it was eating something from my garden beds, but then I realized the growths were on its face.”

Should You Be Worried?

The good news: there’s no evidence that SFV spreads to humans. Parkhurst and other experts stress that people should avoid handling infected squirrels, but the virus poses no direct health risk.

“Given the limited number of cases each year and the fact that most people have very little physical contact with squirrels, there has been no documented transmission to humans,” Parkhurst told Newsweek.

What Happens Next

Outbreaks typically occur between late spring and late summer, coinciding with high mosquito activity. Squirrels often recover within four to six months, though young squirrels with weaker immune systems are more vulnerable.

Experts advise residents to:

• Avoid contact with affected squirrels.
• Eliminate standing water on their property to reduce mosquito populations.
• Let nature take its course—most squirrels will recover without human intervention.

For now, the so-called “zombie squirrels” remain a disturbing but natural wildlife phenomenon—creatures that look like nightmares but are, in reality, just victims of an old virus that nature already knows how to handle.

Reference:

1. SQUIRREL POX - (https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/wildlifehabitat/disease/Squirrelpox)

Source-Medindia