Oh deer!<\/p>\n
Nightmarish photos of deer growing mutant-like black bubbles are now spreading like wildfire on social media \u2014 soon after sightings of growth-ravaged squirrels and rabbits\u00a0across the US<\/a> sparked fears of disease outbreaks.<\/p>\n The slew of images popping up online show various deer roaming through backyards and the wilderness while covered head-to-hoof in huge boil-like warts.<\/p>\n Freaky photos of deer growing mutant-like black bubbles are spreading on social media. Dacnis\/Reddit<\/p>\n Despite being grotesque-looking, the golf ball-sized warts \u2014 officially known as \u201cfibromas\u201d \u2014 are just non-cancerous tumors, according to wildlife officials<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n The warts, which can spread from deer to deer, most often grow on the animal\u2019s head and neck but rarely affect overall health.<\/p>\n The freaky photos started going viral after sightings of \u201czombie squirrels\u201d<\/a> and \u201cFrankenstein rabbits\u201d stoked concerns about possible plague outbreaks across the country. <\/p>\n The golf ball-sized warts \u2014 officially known as \u201cfibromas\u201d \u2014 are just non-cancerous tumors, experts say. Matt Harbin \/ Washington department of Fish and Wildlife<\/p>\n Reports of cottontail rabbits sporting black, tentacle-like growths out of their heads in Colorado, Minnesota and Nebraska recently prompted warnings to steer clear of the mutated animals.<\/p>\n