Part 3/8:
Initial speculation pointed toward various causes, including porcupine attacks or environmental factors. However, experts have identified the culprit as a rare virus known as the Shope Papilloma Virus (SPV). Discovered initially in the 1930s by cancer researcher Richard E. Schop, SPV is known for causing abnormal growths—benign tumors or warts—that can sometimes develop into keratinous horns or structures on affected animals.