This does not look good 😳🔥

Just when creepy tales of Colorado’s “Frankenstein rabbits” and “zombie squirrels” seemed enough, a new unsettling sight has emerged online: deer covered in dark, warty “flesh bubbles.” Photographs from Pennsylvania and Wisconsin quickly spread on social media, prompting concern from wildlife enthusiasts. One Reddit user shared an image of a backyard deer, asking whether it was a gunshot wound, tumor, or prion disease. Another simply asked: “What’s wrong with this deer?”

The explanation, while still alarming to the eye, is much less sinister. Wildlife experts confirm the condition is **deer fibroma**, caused by a species-specific papillomavirus. According to the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, these growths are “firm, warty, dark, and bare of fur, often fissured or lumpy.” Most deer develop only a few small fibromas, though more widespread cases occur.

The virus spreads through close contact, such as sharing rubbing posts or feeding areas. Dr. Kristin Mansfield, a wildlife veterinarian, likened it to human warts. While the lumps may itch, they rarely harm the deer. Importantly for hunters, the meat remains safe to eat, as the growths are confined to the skin.

There’s no treatment for wild deer, though captive animals can sometimes have fibromas removed surgically. In rare instances where the growths interfere with eating or movement, euthanasia may be necessary. Over time, most deer’s immune systems naturally shrink the warts.

Experts suggest climate change may be contributing to unusual animal diseases, with warmer temperatures allowing ticks and mosquitoes to spread viruses in new regions. Dr. Omer Awan noted that increased documentation on social media also makes these cases more visible.

So while the “mutant deer” may be startling, the condition poses no threat to humans. Still, the rise of strange, virus-driven appearances across wildlife leaves many wondering: is this just the beginning?