A man dodged potentially fatal poisoning after allegedly mistaking lethal death cap mushrooms for their hallucinogenic counterparts while illegally foraging in southern Western Australia.
The 22-year-old was pulled over by police in Manjimup, 300 kilometres south of Perth, during a traffic stop on June 11.
Police allege the man was found to be in possession of methamphetamine, MDMA and mushrooms.
Manjimup Sergeant Tyler Winter said the mushrooms were quickly identified as highly dangerous death caps.
Sergeant Winter said the Perth man, once informed of the potentially lethal mix-up, was thankful for the inadvertent police assistance.
“They’d been foraging for [mushrooms] between Margaret River and Manjimup,” he said.
“They were hoping they’d be the kind they could eat and get a response from.
“When we told them that we think they’re actually death cap mushrooms and not the illegal kind they were hoping for and that they could be fatal … they were quite appreciative of our intervention.”
The Perth man was allegedly caught during a routine police traffic stop. (ABC News)
Illegal foraging a constant problem
WA’s South West is a known hot spot for mushroom foraging in winter, with the region’s cold, damp climate providing ample conditions for everything from black truffles to psilocybin mushrooms.
The lure of the psychedelic fungus, in particular, draws illicit foragers to towns in the region every year.
The death cap mushroom, Amanita phalloides, is a deadly fungus commonly mistaken for edible mushrooms.
Ingesting one death cap mushroom is enough to kill a healthy adult.
Ingesting a single death cap mushroom can kill a healthy adult. (Victorian Health Department)
Sergeant Winter said the risks of on-selling a deadly substance were also front of mind for police.
He warned against foraging for mushrooms in the area.
“It’s like any other drug, if you sell it or supply it to another party, you’re committing an offence, you’re selling a prohibited drug and you can get in quite serious trouble,” he said.
“We strongly discourage anyone from picking wild mushrooms and consuming them.”
The man is set to appear in Bunbury Magistrates Court on July 16.
