Washington
Tiny kinkajou, a rainforest critter indigenous to South America, found crawling through Washington state
That’s beary suspicious.
Washington officials were left scratching their heads this week when they found a mammal indigenous to the rainforest crawling along a stretch of desert.
The kinkajou — also known as a honey bear — was discovered Sunday darting up a tall wooden post at a rest stop along Interstate 82 southeast of Yakima, the state Department of Transportation said on X.
“Hello from our friendly Kinkajou! What’s that you say? It’s a nocturnal rainforest animal,” the DOT wrote.
“Why was it at our east Selah Creek Rest Area over the wknd? We have no idea, but our friends with Dept. of Fish & Wildlife rescued him. We don’t know if it was dropped off or escaped.”
Animal experts suspect that the weasel-like critter was obtained through the illegal pet trade before being abandoned and left to fend for itself in the arid climate.
At the time of its rescue, it was “very thin” and weighed only 2.5 pounds — about four pounds less than the average weight of a kinkajou, according to The Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
While the full results of the young animal are still pending, officials said the kinkajou — which looks like a cross between a monkey and a tiny bear — was in fair overall health.
He is recuperating at the zoo as officials look for a permanent home for the tiny beast.
Kinkajous, which have prehensile tails, are carnivores that live in tropical rainforests from southern Mexico through Brazil.
With sandy yellow fur, round ears and big dark eyes, they are capable of grasping objects and are often mistakenly called primates, the zoo said.
“Despite their cuteness, kinkajous do not make good pets,” the zoo said.
Kinkajous are not endangered but are hunted for their fur, and the illegal exotic pet trade threatens their population, according to the zoo.
WASHINGTON – Coming up this month, spring’s most colorful new event: Tulip Day Washington.
What we know:
On March 15, 2026, Tulip Day Washington will transform DC’s National Mall into a vibrant tulip-picking garden beautiful views of U.S. Capitol
This one-day event will take place from 11:15 AM – 4:15 PM, offering a floral showcase of approximately 150,000 tulips; visitors are invited to pick their choice of 10 tulips for free upon arrival.
Dig deeper:
The registration site for Tulip Day is currently down, showing users “This site is currently unavailable. If you’re the owner of this website, please contact your hosting provider to get this resolved.”
Users on social media say the event may be sold out.
Check tulipday.eu for updates.
The backstory:
The event is organized by the Embassy of the Netherlands and Royal Anthos, a Dutch trade association, in honor of America’s 250th birthday. The display of tulips will be in the shape of the number 250.
The bulbs come from the Netherlands, but are being grown in Virginia and New Jersey.
These won’t be the first tulips on the National Mall, however. The Floral Library, also known as the Tulip Library, features 93 beds of flowers near the Tidal Basin. The Floral Library was established in 1969, and is maintained by the National Park Services. These flowers, though, are to be enjoyed only – not to be picked.
The562’s coverage of Dirtbags Baseball for the 2026 season is sponsored by P2S, Inc. Visit p2sinc.com to learn more.
Long Beach State dropped a 9-7 decision against Washington State on Sunday afternoon, closing out a busy weekend on Bohl Diamond at Blair Field.
The visiting Cougars took the lead for good in the eighth inning when Long Beach Poly grad Ryan Skjonsby delivered a game-winning two-run single with two outs and the bases loaded. Skjonsby was 2-for-4 with a walk, a run scored and three RBIs for Washington State in their road victory.
For the Dirtbags, catcher Damon Valdez scored twice and had a key two-run single in the sixth to help lead a Long Beach comeback. Trevor Goldenetz had a pair of hits at the top of the order, including an RBI triple. Camden Gasser walked twice and singled, improving his on-base percentage to .574 on the season.
Long Beach State (4-7) will be back in action at home on Tuesday with an exhibition match against Waseda University from Japan. The Dirtbags will then visit San Diego State on Wednesday and open Big West play at UC Santa Barbara this weekend.
WASHINGTON (Gray DC) – Operation “Epic Fury” — the weekend military operations carried out by the U.S. and Israel against targets in Iran — tops the agenda for Congress as lawmakers return to Washington.
Sunday, President Donald Trump said the new leadership in Iran wants to talk to the Trump Administration.
Democrats in both chambers called for Congress to return as soon as possible for classified briefings on Iran, followed by a move to vote on the War Powers Act. The Constitution gives Congress the power to declare war on another country.
Congress’ return to Washington was originally delayed due to the start of the 2026 midterm elections cycle.
Tuesday, voters in Arkansas, North Carolina and Texas head to the polls for primary elections.
North Carolina and Texas are drawing significant attention, as both states are facing congressional redistricting and competitive primary races for Senate seats.
In Texas, incumbent Sen. John Cornyn (R) is facing primary challenges from state Attorney General Ken Paxton and Rep. Wesley Hunt. On the Democratic side, Rep. Jasmine Crockett is facing state Rep. James Talarico.
In North Carolina, candidates are vying to replacing retiring Sen. Thom Tillis (R) . They include former Governor Roy Cooper (D) and former Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley.
Also this week, the Rev. Jesse Jackson is laid to rest. He will be honored Wednesday in Washington before a final memorial service Saturday. Jackson died Feb. 17.
Copyright 2026 Gray DC. All rights reserved.
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