Officials say the virus is "not serious" and can't be transmitted to humans or livestock.
On Monday, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) officials responded to a call in Morrison stating that a deer was seen covered in large, "unsightly" warts.
Though the image (below) may raise some concerns at first, CPW confirms that it is nothing serious:
Though this deer may not win the beauty contest, it does provide an opportunity to share some wildlife education.
— CPW NE Region (@CPW_NE) April 11, 2022
Wildlife Officers got a call today from Morrison on it. The warty growths are cutaneous fibromas caused by a virus. They are pretty unsightly, but not serious. pic.twitter.com/djXfa6fKkS
Called cutaneous fibromas (aka deer warts), the condition is caused by the deer papilloma virus. This virus is transmitted through insect bites or direct contact with an infected deer. It is not, however, transmittable to humans or livestock.
"Deer fibromas can last for weeks to months and can get quite large, but most will eventually regress and heal completely without treatment. Once the growths are healed, the deer has lifelong resistance to future infections by this virus," said CPW.
CPW added that the infected deer "is walking around fine, eating fresh green-up & acting like a deer. We are letting it be for now & just monitoring."
"Most fibromas will eventually regress & heal completely. When we come across these cases, we check on the animals' mobility & ability to eat & drink," added wildlife officials.
What do you think of the deer warts? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.