First, we had rabbits with tentacles on their faces. Now we have rabid-looking zombie squirrels. What will nature come up with next to terrify and astound us?
Reports of squirrels covered in pus and what looks like tumors have gone viral online. But, no, you shouldn't be alarmed that the zombie apocalypse is happening in 2025. Zombie squirrels reports have actually been going around for a few years now, with photos popping up across the U.S. and Canada. It's likely the rabbits mentioned above brought them back into the news cycle and made them go viral once again.
The Daily Mail reported that the squirrels looked hairless and had multiple sores. One person wrote on Reddit about their encounter at the end of July. They wrote, "At first I thought it was eating something from my front beds, but then I realized it was on its face."
Another also wrote, "That looks like a bad case of squirrel pox. Possibly tumors (more rare), possibly even mites. Looking at the environment there could even be botflies in the skin as well. This baby looks rough.Please call your wildlife conservation officer or a rehabber. They can see what they can do or the officer put the baby to rest."
Zombie Squirrels Go Viral
Sadly, there's some horrible truth behind zombie squirrels. They likely suffer from a viral skin disease called squirrel fibromatosis, which is caused by leporipoxvirus. Shevenell Webb of Maine's Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife says the animals shouldn't be feared. They pose no harm to humans.
However, she doesn't recommend cornering one. "I would not recommend trying to capture a squirrel that has the virus,' Webb told the Bangor Daily News. 'It is naturally occurring and will run its course in time.'
"It's like when you get a large concentration of people. If someone is sick and it's something that spreads easily, others are going to catch it," Webb also said.
Bird feeders may act as a place for squirrels to infect one another and spread the virus.
"Like a lot of people, I love watching birds," Webb said. "Unfortunately, you can attract multiple [squirrels] to that feeder and risk exposure if one has the virus."
Fortunately zombie squirrels tend to heal on their own in a few weeks.
