The rodents have ratified it: Six more weeks of winter ahead in Portland and across the country.
“Stumptown Fil,” — or Filbert the beaver, who lives at the Oregon Zoo — on Sunday echoed his national counterpart, groundhog Punxsutawney Phil in predicting more winter weather ahead, rather than an early spring.
“He may not be a professional, but he’s right about half the time,” keeper Christina Parr said in a news release on Sunday. Last year, Fil predicted an early spring.
Stumptown Fil has issued weather forecasts since 2020, in the Oregon Zoo’s answer to Groundhog Day.
“We love groundhogs, but they aren’t native to the Pacific Northwest,” Parr said in the news release. “Here in Oregon, we’re beaver believers.”
Beavers were once plentiful in Oregon and across the continent, with as many as 400 million damming up streams, rivers and lakes, shaping a water-plentiful land before European settlers arrived. The animals were respected and revered across many Native American cultures and were a source of food, clothing and trade. But starting in the 1600s and continuing for nearly three centuries, fur traders and trappers hunted them down to near-extinction.
Protections in Oregon and in other states have helped beavers rebound somewhat. There are now an estimated 10–15 million beavers across the U.S., just under 5% of their original numbers. There’s no population estimate for Oregon, but the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has embarked on a first-of-its kind survey to survey beavers and their activity throughout the state. The agency will spend the next year analyzing beaver survey results with the hope of identifying beaver restoration projects.
Fil, who is 13, was born in captivity at the Oregon Zoo in 2011. He lives with his lodge-mate Maple, and his favorite foods include apples, sweet potatoes and willow branches, according to the Portland Trail Blazers. Blazer’s mascots Douglas Fur and Blaze the Trail Cat joined Fil for his prediction on Sunday. The team is offering a 15% ticket discount for “Stumptown Filbert Day.”
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