PETA Has Once Again Called For Punxsutawney Phil To Retire

It's not the first time PETA has called for Punxsutawney Phil to retire. Punxsutawney Phil has been on the group PETA crosshairs for quite some time. This time around the request is a little different idea than normal. A gold coin could replace America's most famous rodent weather forecaster.

PETA  (The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.) said it wrote to the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club’s president offering a new twist in the prediction of an early Spring or six more weeks of Winter.  Instead of handling Phil to see if he sees his shadow the great big idea of the day is  "a giant coin."  That way Phil, can retire and send him to a sanctuary.

Also in the letter sent to the president was a suggestion to use new A.I. technology or a human dressed up like a groundhog.

The annual Groundhog Day ceremony in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, at the famous Gobbler's Knob dates back to 1887. But even Phil certainly isn't perfect. The event is free and held on Friday, February  2nd, 2024. How good is Phil at predicting a longer winter or early spring? Since 1887, Punxsutawney Phil has predicted the weather outlook 127 times. He has seen his shadow the most, as he has predicted a longer winter 107 times, per USA Today. That comes to about 84%.

Phil does not appear in the 1993 movie, "Groundhog Day." Phil has a stand in ground hog in his place for the movie.  Punxsutawney officials, upset that their town was not used for filming, refused to allow the real Punxsutawney Phil to appear in the film. Groundhog Day movie was filmed in different locations around Woodstock, Illinois near director Harold Ramis's home.

Groundhog Day is celebrated every year on February 2; the holiday started in 1887 in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. Each year, Punxsutawney Phil makes his prediction about whether we will get an early spring or six more weeks of winter. If he sees his shadow when he comes out of his burrow, that means six more weeks of winter, but if he doesn't see his shadow, an early spring!

Want to see what Phil decides? You can watch him make his prediction this 136th Groundhog Day online here: www.visitpa.com/groundhog-day-live-stream/.

The tradition of Groundhog Day started in Europe as Candlemas Day, clergy would bless and distribute candles needed for winter, which represented how long the winter would be. In the 1700s Germans who settled in Pennsylvania brought the custom to America but selected an animal to predict the weather.

In 1886 a local newspaper first wrote about Groundhog Day, but the first official celebration of Groundhog Day took place in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania on February 2, 1887. A group of businessmen made their way to Gobbler's Knob and formed the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club. Nowadays, every February 2, spectators attend Groundhog Day events in Punxsutawney.

Punxsutawney Phil has seen his shadow ninety-seven times, and has not seen it fifteen times, making his predictions accurate approximately 39% of the time.

Groundhogs grow between eight to twelve pounds and live between six to eight years. They dig burrows for homes that can be anywhere from eight to sixty-six feet long and hibernate in their burrows until February 2nd.

Groundhogs are called “true hibernators” because they can reduce their heartbeat to as little as five beats per minute and drop their body temperature down to 41 degrees Fahrenheit while they hibernate.

When the Germans settled in Pennsylvania they had a hard time finding badgers which they traditionally used on Candlemas Day, so they made the switch the a groundhog.

Phil has a wife named Phyllis and they both live in the town library at Gobbler's Knob.

During the first celebration, The Punxsutawney Groundhog considered the groundhog to be a delicacy, so they ate their namesake.