OREGON
If the cost of those items that some “old-fashioned” people call “groceries” has you worried, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has an inexpensive alternative: nutria. Witness its new slogan: “Save a Swamp, Sauté a Nutria,” The Oregonian reports. Sounds … uh … nutritious — but then again, what is a nutria? Visualize a protein bar, but with more fur. Nutria are cat-sized rodents native to South America that were brought to Oregon during the 1930s for the fur-farming trade. Over the next decade, they escaped captivity and ultimately became an invasive species that is rapidly demolishing marshland. According to the Fish and Wildlife folks, “Their nonstop munching and burrowing destroy the plants that keep marshes stable, leading to erosion, loss of habitat and wetlands that look like something out of a disaster movie.” The agency says the meat is lean and mild, and, unlike everything else in the known universe, does not taste like chicken but rather is similar to “rabbit or turkey drumsticks.” For this and other dinnertime delights, check out the agency’s “Eat the Invaders” article. Really.
WASHINGTON
This season, purple hammock headgear was all the rage in the little town of Pullman, Washington. Just ask Walter, the white-tailed deer that became an international internet celebrity after his triumphant tussle with a backyard hammock last September. The Pullman Police Department was able to free Walter from the “backyard booby trap,” i.e., a colorful hammock, the Spokane Spokesman-Review reported, but a tangled bunch of purple fabric proved too difficult to remove from one of his antlers. Fortunately, the snarled-up material didn’t interfere with the buck’s ability to see, eat or drink, so the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife adhered to its policy of no intervention absent “truly necessary circumstances.” In any case, the situation was fully expected to resolve itself, since white-tailed deer shed their antlers annually. In the meantime, Pullman resident Judy Willington, created a Facebook group called “Where’s Walter?” so that more than 1,100 people from around the globe could keep track of Walter’s activities through the photos she took, which showed the world exactly where his adventures took him each day. Once Walter shed his antlers, Willington updated the Facebook page to “Where’s Walter’s Antler?” referring to the hammock-bedecked antler that had evolved into a moveable feast of modern art. In February, Dave Gibney spotted the legendary antler while out for a walk near Pullman’s Reaney Park. He connected with Willington, who retrieved the antler and plans to mount it above her porch with a sign marking the site as “Walter’s Place.” We look forward to seeing similar hammocky headgear on the next celebrity-studded red-carpet event.
COLORADO
The Centennial State has a new official state mushroom: The emperor mushroom, Agaricus julius. The noble fungi achieved this distinction despite being initially misidentified as its close relative Agaricus augustus, more commonly known as the Prince mushroom, or “the mushroom formerly known as Prince.” Once it was accurately identified as the Agaricus known as julius, HB 1091 was amended and Gov. Jared Polis signed it on March 31, 2025, making Colorado the eighth state to designate a state mushroom, 9news.com reported. The emperor mushroom is edible and apparently delicious — it’s described as having a “cherry-almond aroma” — but don’t bother hunting for it thinking it’s psychedelic, although Colorado did legalize psilocybin for medicinal use in 2022. Agaricus julius looks nothing like the Amanita muscaria, the photogenic white-dotted raspberry beret that starred in the animated Disney classic Fantasia. Instead, it looks more like a “toasted marshmallow.” And we’re sure it’s great on the grill paired with honey-glazed nutria.
COLORADO
The Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance proudly announced the birth of a male reticulated giraffe calf, the first child of BB and Jasiri, two 4-year-old giraffes, on March 7, denverzoo.org reported. The labor and delivery lasted just three and a half hours, which seems like no time at all compared to the 444-day pregnancy that giraffes typically endure. (If you think that’s bad, try being an elephant; they carry their young for up to 22 months, which seems like a really long time to carry anything, much less another elephant, even a baby one. Oof.) Maura Davis, curator of large mammals, said that “delivery went very smoothly, BB is doing a great job.” For a $5 donation, zoo patrons and the public are invited to vote for one of three names — Dagg, Thorn or Kujali — with the proceeds going to the Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance.
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This article appeared in the May 2025 print edition of the magazine with the headline “Heard around the West.”
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