PORTLAND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Put the parkas away, Portlanders. Filbert the beaver — aka Stumptown Fil — has made his weather prediction at the Oregon Zoo: spring will “beavery” early this year.
Though Feb. 2 is widely known as Groundhog Day, when it comes to furry forecasters, Filbert’s care staff (and social media fans) prefer their local beaver. (By the way, that other Phil agrees with him this year.)
“We love groundhogs, but they aren’t native to the Pacific Northwest, and they don’t create wetlands,” said Christina Parr, a keeper in the zoo’s North America section. “Here in Oregon, we’re beaver believers.”
Filbert made his forecasting debut in 2020, and Parr says that while his predictions aren’t perfect, but they’re about as accurate as you can hope for from a weather beaver.
“Last year, Filbert predicted six more weeks of winter , and later that month we had a huge snowstorm,” Parr said. “He may not be a professional furcaster, but he’s right about half the time!”
Even if meteorology doesn’t end up being Filbert’s strong suit (it did take him a few passes to stop at the weather stump this year), he does a great job connecting people with one of Oregon’s most iconic and misunderstood animals, according to Parr.