"Zombie Fungus" Resembling Cordyceps From 'The Last of Us' Found in Scotland

Fans of The Last of Us will be horrified to learn that a fungus that sounds eerily similar to the Cordyceps fungus that turned the world upside down in the video-game-turned-television-series has been discovered in Scotland. Experts have announced their findings, describing the fungus as something capable of turning those it infects into "zombies."

While incredibly terrifying on paper, it sounds like the primary victims of this fungus aren't human. Keep reading to find out who is at risk of being infected by the Gibellula fungus and what everyone should know about the so-called zombie fungus found in Scotland.

A naturalist named Ben Mitchell discovered the Gibellula fungus growing in Scotland's rainforest, according to The Times.

“It’s part of a group of fungi that are known for turning their victims into ‘zombies,' compelling them to act in a certain way before killing them," Mitchell told the outlet. "Gibellula seems to make spiders move to the underside of leaves, before sticking them there."

"It’s maybe so that when they fruit, the spores are protected from the rain and can drop on to other unsuspecting spiders more easily," Mitchell continued. "It’s a bit grim, but it’s all part of the remarkable natural world."

While this real-life version of the fungus does mirror what happens in The Last of Us to an extent, as the Cordyceps fungus behaves in a bit of a similar way, the pair fortunately don't have everything in common.

Whereas the fictionalized version of the Cordyceps fungus transforms otherwise healthy humans into rabid, mindless zombies known as Clickers, the Gibellula fungus doesn't seem poised to harm anyone other than arachnids.

The amateur naturalist spoke about his discovery with The Times, explaining how he uncovered two examples of the fungus growing during his research.

Mitchell says his October 2024 discovery brings the total count of Gibellula discoveries over the past 70 years to 10, highlighting just how rare the instances of these types of infections really are.

If you need even more reassurance that humans have nothing to worry about with Mitchell's discovery, consider the fact that the popularity of The Last of Us has prompted a renewed interest in the behavior of the real life version of the Cordyceps fungus.

In 2023 the Yale School of Medicine addressed the apocalyptic spread of the Cordyceps fungus in the series, explaining that while it has been known to seize control of the brain's of insects like ants to take over their motor functions, it's very unlikely to ever make the jump to humans.