Yet, even as officials issue warnings not to touch these nightmarish mutants under any circumstances, the real reason remains shrouded in silence.
“Looks like it was black quills or black toothpicks sticking out all around his mouth,” recalled Susan Mansfield, recounting an encounter that has haunted local eyes ever since. “It’s kind of like a, just like a scabby-ish-looking growth over their face,” another unnerved resident said.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife has confirmed the culprit: a virus that manifests in warty, tumor-like tendrils—somewhat akin to benign cancerous cells—but they’ve stopped short of revealing its real nature or origins.
Residents remain unsettled by the ambiguity: why a virus so bizarre and persistent? Why no cure? Why the order not to touch them under any circumstances?
According to local residents, whispers of government experiments, genetically-engineered pathogens, and contamination from secretive chemical testing in the area are circulating at neighborhood gatherings and social media forums.
The fact that the mysterious rabbits return year after year—with the mutations growing more pronounced—only fans the flames of suspicion.
Authorities insist there is “no threat to humans or pets,” and reassure the public that the virus is “not contagious to other animals.” Still, the warning to not touch the afflicted rabbits—without offering further explanation—speaks volumes.
Whether it’s science, politics, or something far more insidious behind the silence, one thing is clear: Fort Collins residents may be witnessing the harbinger of a darker agenda.