World
‘Zombie Rabbits’: Shope Papillomavirus Threatens Wild Cottontails in North America
Wild cottontail rabbits in North America are being affected by Shope papillomavirus (SPV), a virus causing horn-like facial growths. While harmless to humans and most pets, it can impair rabbits’ vision and feeding, making them vulnerable to predators. The virus spreads via mosquitoes, ticks, and direct contact.
Wild rabbits in North America are being afflicted by a strange virus that provokes small horn-like growths around their mouths and eyes.
The sight of a rabbit afflicted by the virus, which scientists have christened Shope papillomavirus, or SPV, is unpleasant and even frightening, leading to such rabbits being named zombie rabbits.
However, the virus affects only a specific species, wild cottontail rabbits, and is not dangerous for humans or pets.
The virus was first identified in the 1930s by Dr. Richard Shope, and hence the name Shope papillomavirus. The virus is transmitted by blood-sucking insects such as mosquitoes and ticks and causes the growth of small outgrowths on the face of the rabbits.
There are rabbits in Fort Collins, Colorado, that have been observed with horn-like , tentacles growths due to the Shope papilloma virus (SPV).
— PeacefulCanvas (@PeacefulxCanvas) August 12, 2025
Here's a breakdown:
1. Shope Papilloma Virus (SPV): This is a real virus, specifically a papillomavirus, that affects rabbits. It… pic.twitter.com/8M0wdDlGTV
Though the virus is not life-threatening, it can affect the health of the rabbits indirectly. The outgrowths around the eyes can impair the vision of rabbits, making them more vulnerable to predators. The outgrowths around the mouth can prevent the rabbits from foraging and consequently starve them to death.
However, the virus does not infect humans, but forest authorities have asked the general public to maintain a safe distance from the diseased rabbits and also asked them not to attempt to treat them.
There is also a possibility that the virus can be transmitted from the wild rabbits to pet rabbits. The infection is mostly seen in the warmer months when there is a growth in the population of blood-sucking insects.
The outgrowths are mostly seen around the mouth and the eyes, where the hair cover is sparse and makes it easy for insects to bite and spread the pathogens. The pathogens can also be spread by direct contact between the wild rabbits, especially when they congregate for breeding or foraging.
Most outgrowths are benign, but there are cases when they have developed into cancer. Most of the outgrowths disappear within six months, and the animals’ immune response quickly eradicates the pathogens.
Scientists have also negated the possibility of the virus infecting human pets such as cats and dogs.
However, pet rabbits are vulnerable, and if your pets show signs of outgrowths on its face, immediately contact a veterinarian.
World
Rare Golden Comet C/2025 K1 (ATLAS) Survives Sun Encounter, Stuns Astronomers with Unusual Color
Comet C/2025 K1 (ATLAS) shocks astronomers by surviving a close solar pass and turning a rare golden color, visible near Virgo and Leo before sunrise.
A rare golden-colored comet, officially designated C/2025 K1 (ATLAS), has left astronomers astonished after surviving what was expected to be its fiery destruction near the Sun.
The comet, discovered in May 2025 by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS), made a dangerously close approach to the Sun on October 8, coming within just 50 million kilometers, a distance at which most comets disintegrate due to solar radiation and gravity.
Against all odds, the comet survived and re-emerged with an extraordinary golden hue, a phenomenon rarely seen in the cosmos. Astrophotographer Dan Bartlett, who captured stunning images of the comet from June Lake, California, described it as “a red/brown/golden color rarely seen in comets.”
Observers in Arizona and California confirmed similar sightings, noting that the comet’s tail had flared dramatically due to solar winds.
Astronomers say the comet’s unusual color may be due to its lack of carbon-bearing molecules like dicarbon (C₂), carbon monoxide (CO), and cyanide (CN), compounds typically responsible for the green or blue glow seen in comets such as 12P/Pons-Brooks and C/2022 E3.
According to David Schleicher from the Lowell Observatory, only two other comets have shown such a deficiency, making this one exceptionally rare.
C/2025 K1 is believed to be a dynamically new comet from the Oort Cloud, a distant region at the edge of the solar system filled with icy bodies. It has now brightened to magnitude 9, meaning it’s too faint to be seen with the naked eye but visible through a good telescope or binoculars.
For skywatchers, the comet can currently be found between the Virgo and Leo constellations in the eastern sky, best viewed shortly before sunrise. It will make its closest approach to Earth on November 25, 2025, and remain visible into early December.
World
Who Was Christopher Scholtes? Arizona Father Who Left Toddler to Die in Hot Car Dies by Suicide Before Prison Sentence
Arizona man Christopher Scholtes, who admitted to leaving his 2-year-old daughter to die in a hot car, was found dead by suicide just before starting his 30-year sentence.
38-year-old Christopher Scholtes, the Arizona man who admitted to leaving his two-year-old daughter, Parker, to die in a sweltering car, has died by suicide just hours before he was due to surrender to authorities.
According to Phoenix police, Scholtes was found dead early Wednesday morning, November 5, inside a home in Phoenix, the same day he was scheduled to appear in Pima County Superior Court to begin serving his prison sentence.
Scholtes had pleaded guilty in October to second-degree murder and intentional child abuse, and was facing 20 to 30 years in prison.
NEW: Arizona man who left his two-year-old daughter to die in a hot car while he watched p*rn and played video games, found deceased.
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) November 5, 2025
Christopher Scholtes was set to report to prison on Wednesday, but never arrived at the hearing.
Scholtes had pleaded guilty to second-degree… pic.twitter.com/qy3CgB8L9y
Officials became alarmed when he failed to appear at his scheduled hearing.
Shortly afterward, coroner records confirmed his death, which investigators are treating as an apparent suicide.
What did Christopher Scholtes exactly do?
The case dates back to July 2024, when Christopher Scholtes’ daughter Parker was found dead in the family’s driveway in Marana, Arizona, on a day when temperatures soared to 109°F (43°C).
He initially claimed he left her in the car for only 30 minutes with the air conditioning on, but investigators later determined she was trapped for over three hours.
During that time, the car’s automatic shutoff disabled the AC, leaving the toddler in deadly heat, while Scholtes was reportedly inside watching p*rn, playing video games, and drinking beer.
Court documents also revealed that Scholtes had a pattern of leaving his children unattended in vehicles.
His older children and Parker’s mother, Erika, told police that he had done so repeatedly.
In text messages following Parker’s death, Erika scolded him:
“I told you to stop leaving them in the car.”
Christopher Scholtes replied,
“Babe, I killed our baby. This can’t be real.”
The heartbreaking case sparked outrage across Arizona. Christopher Scholtes’ older daughter later filed a lawsuit against him and Erika, citing years of trauma from similar neglect.
Authorities have not yet released the official cause of death, but confirmed that the investigation is ongoing.
Also Read: Influencer Hannah Grubbs Faces Backlash for Jamaica Vacation Posts Amid Deadly Hurricane Melissa
World
Influencer Hannah Grubbs Faces Backlash for Jamaica Vacation Posts Amid Deadly Hurricane Melissa
Influencer Hannah Grubbs is facing backlash after posting “tone-deaf” Jamaica vacation videos during Hurricane Melissa, a deadly Category 5 storm. Critics slammed her for trivializing the crisis as thousands faced evacuation, destruction, and life-threatening conditions.
Social media influencer Hannah Grubbs, who has more than 360,000 followers, is facing criticism after sharing lighthearted videos of her Jamaican vacation during Hurricane Melissa.
Melissa is a Category 5 hurricane that has killed at least seven people in the Caribbean.
Hannah Grubbs began posting videos on October 24 showing herself traveling to Jamaica despite widespread warnings about the approaching storm.
In one TikTok clip, filmed at the airport, she wrote,
“Us on our way to Jamaica during a hurricane.”
Another video shows her enjoying a cocktail, captioned,
“Pretending there’s not a Category 5 hurricane hitting Jamaica.”
The posts immediately sparked outrage online, with viewers calling his behavior “absurd” and “shameful.”
Critics accused the influencer of downplaying a natural disaster that has displaced thousands and destroyed homes.
“People are about to lose everything they own and their loved ones, and she’s worried about her vacation,”
one commenter wrote.
As Hurricane Melissa approached New Hope, Jamaica, with winds of 185 mph, officials declared it the strongest storm to hit the island in more than a century.
Nearly 1.5 million residents are at risk, and hundreds of thousands of tourists have been confined to their hotels under emergency protocols.
Following the backlash, Hannah Grubbs shared updates showing staff reinforcing hotel windows and evacuating guests to safety, and said she was praying for Jamaica.
Also Read: Is Sydney Sweeney the Next James Bond Girl? Here’s What She Just Said
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