WYOMING
It’s one thing to get stuck between a rock and a hard place, but between a bathroom and a 2,000-pound bison? Now, that’s a hairy situation. A visitor was trying to leave the restroom at Yellowstone National Park when he realized that a huge bison was blocking the way, the Cowboy State Daily reported. Unlike the other tourists we cover in this column, though, he reacted intelligently, waiting inside the bathroom until the coast was clear and periodically peeking out to check. Taylor Caropolo posted a video of the “awkward encounter” to the Facebook group “Yellowstone: Invasion of the Idiots.” This time, however, the bison was the invader, and the human, for a change, resisted the temptation to take a selfie.
CALIFORNIA
If you thought the orca attacks off the coasts of Spain, Portugal and Scotland were surprising, this news will otterly amaze you. “Otter 841,” a 5-year-old female, has been harassing locals in Santa Cruz, NPR reports — even stealing their surfboards. The otter’s unusual behavior has wildlife officials officially baffled, although the California Department of Fish and Wildlife believes that 841, who was raised by humans at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, simply never developed a healthy wariness of people. While this might explain 841’s lack of fear, it does not explain why she’s turned to crime. Normally, we think of otters as cuddly and adorable, not as schoolyard bullies or perps in a game of Grand Theft Surfboard. Wildlife officials have been trying to capture the “outlaw” otter and re-home her in the interest of everyone’s safety, including her own, but 841 has so far evaded them. Meanwhile, she’s gained a considerable following on Instagram. Several online petitions advocating for her freedom are circulating — one has over 50,000 signatures — and an Instagram page, @thesurfingotter, overflows with memes and parody images. One of them compares 841 to Batman from the 2008 film The Dark Knight, solemnly declaring: “She’s the hero Santa Cruz deserves, but not the one it needs right now. So we’ll hunt her. Because she can take it. Because she’s not our hero. She’s a silent guardian, a watchful protector. A dark knight.” Whether 841 is actually the superhero we need remains to be seen. But we must admit she looks pretty badass decked out in the Dark Knight’s mask.
CALIFORNIA/WASHINGTON
There’s no doubt that, as NPR reports, the legendary corpse flower is the “rockstar of the plant world.” And we’re in luck, because right now there are three — count ’em, THREE — blooming in California and Washington this summer. Horticulturalists are thrilled, because this very rare and elusive plant can go seven to 10 years between blooms. These particular alien-looking plants can be found at San Francisco’s Conservatory of Flowers, the San Diego Botanic Gardens, and the Amazon Spheres in Seattle. If you plan to visit — and ya better hustle, because the blossoming stage only lasts 24 to 48 hours — be sure and bring nose plugs. This hard-core Goth cousin of the calla lily — scientifically known as Amorphophallus titanum, or the titan arum — is impossible to miss; the flower can grow up to 8 feet tall, and it emits a distinctive fragrance, much like rotting meat. Ari Novy, president and CEO of the San Diego Botanic Garden, said it smells as if you put “your teenager’s dirty laundry in a big black garbage bag” with “some hamburger meat, maybe some fish, a little garlic and some parmesan cheese. And you left that by the side of the road on a very hot desert day for about 24 hours.” Sounds, um, delightful — perfect for Valentine’s Day.
WASHINGTON/OREGON
If you’re hiking along a trail in the woods and encounter a gigantic Nordic troll that seems to have wandered out of The Lord of the Rings, no need to pinch yourself; you’re not dreaming. Plans are underway to install six of the whimsical sculptures within natural landscapes across the Pacific Northwest. The trolls, which range from 12 to 20 feet in height, are created by Danish artist and environmentalist Thomas Dambo and constructed with the help of volunteers (human, not Elvish), using recycled materials. Dambo has built 100 troll sculptures around the globe, though these will be the first in the Pacific Northwest, Geek Wire reports. The sculptures are meant to “tell a tale of protecting nature and honoring the land and waterways.” Nice to know that not all trolls are on social media.
Tiffany Midge is a citizen of the Standing Rock Nation and was raised by wolves in the Pacific Northwest. Her book, Bury My Heart at Chuck E. Cheese’s (Bison Books, 2019), was a Washington State Book Award nominee. She resides in north-central Idaho near the Columbia River Plateau, homeland of the Nimiipuu.
Tips of Western oddities are appreciated and often shared in this column. Write heard@hcn.org, or submit a letter to the editor.
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Bathroom bison, foul-smelling flowers and outlaw otters on the lam.
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