Marilyn's Photos - Frankenstein vs Zombie Rabbits

 

Which is worse - Zombie or Frankenstein Rabbits -  they have been spotted in Colorado.  They have black, tentacle-like growths out of their heads.  More than one or two, so calling them horns seems odd. There are also reports that their mouths have tentacles.  Go check out the pictures - definitely something to see. Headlines proclaim this is a disaster -   Zombie Rabbits are invading the U.S. from Colorado.  I guess Colorado isn't Vegas so what happens in Colorado gets out everywhere and doesn't manage to stay in its own state the way Vegas managed to keep things to itself.  OK, it didn't have zombie rabbits, just bad behaviour.  Forbes has an article that explains the situation, hopefully calming to the viral posts and videos, and providing a good science lesson: "Fortunately, a zombie apocalypse has not fallen on the rabbit population in Colorado.  Instead, the rabbits are infected with Shope papillomavirus, which is also known as cottontail rabbit papillomavirus (CPRV). This virus was first discovered in the 1930s by researcher Richard Shope, who observed growths - often described as horns or tentacles - on wild rabbits. The virus is now known to be a DNA virus that is genetically related to human papillomavirus (HPV), which can cause benign warts or certain types of cancer in humans. Shope virus is spread primarily through the bite of an arthropod, such as ticks and mosquitoes, and can lead to the development of wart-like tumors on an infected animal’s head, face and around the mouth." So science comes to the rescue and solves the panic of people asking questions like:  Will I get infected and grow horns on my head?  Will my cat or dog become a zombie? Will I get rabies?  All kinds of things swirl in the head. The Forbes article says that most infected rabbits survive their condition, but their quality of life may be impacted.  Doesn't that line sound like ChatGPT wrote it?  I would call it smarmy, ingratiating, unctuous, fawning, and so on.  A strange thing to say about a rabbit's life at best.   The Forbes article HERE gives insight into how this virus in rabbits has helped understand the HPV virus in humans.

Here's the Avon River in Stratford, home of the Shakespeare Festival.  This is from a few years ago. The river has gone dry  after a storm in July. The Stratford dam was opened by the onslaught or rain and the gates were blocked by debris so the water went downstream. They've repaired the damage and the water is filling back in, but it still has a puddle feel to the depth.  It is going to take a while for the water to get back to being a river given our heat and lack of rain. Read more daily posts here: marilyncornwellblogspot.com Purchase works here: Fine Art America- marilyncornwell.com Redbubble - marilyncornwellart.ca