PETA attacks 'ridiculous' groundhog day tradition urging 'let Phil hibernate'

02 February 2024 , 16:51

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Groundhog handler William Deeley holds up Punxsutawney Phil, a groundhog (Image: Getty Images)

PETA attacked a Pennsylvania groundhog club calling their tradition of using a groundhog to determine when spring will arrive “ridiculous.”

The animal abuse informant asked Punxsutawney Groundhog Club to stop the tradition of waking up their resident groundhog, which they claim has survived for 138 years by drinking the elixir of life, and flip a coin instead. PETA’s president, Ingrid Newkirk argued flipping a coin would be more accurate and offered to send a giant golden coin to the club.

PETA posted to X, formerly Twitter, saying: “Taking a groundhog out of their habitat wasn’t the vibe in 1886 & it still isn’t the vibe in 2024. Groundhogs aren’t meteorologists. Could this be any more ridiculous? Why is Punxsutawney Groundhog club still forcing Phil to do a fake weather forecast?"

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Phil found himself in the shadow as child star Tim Hovey upstages him in a preview of Groundhog Day (Bettmann Archive)

It left a call to action for animal activists: “Tell it to retire its pathetic 138-year-old activity and let Phil hibernate like a normal groundhog.”

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The tradition involves Phil the Groundhog’s handlers announcing whether the rodent has seen his shadow, meaning there will be an early spring, or hasn’t, meaning there will be six weeks more winter. On Friday, Phil ushered in an early spring.

Newkirk pointed out that Phil’s predictions are accurate 39% of the time, meaning flipping a coin would be more accurate, hence her offer of sending a giant golden coin to the club.

Groundhog Club president Sam Light, age 79, hold the woodchuck (Bettmann Archive)

(Getty Images)

“Groundhogs can't make heads or tails of the weather forecast and shouldn't be jostled around by large members of a different species and thrust in front of noisy crowds for a photo op," Newkirk said in a news release. She added: "PETA is urging The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club to send Phil to a reputable sanctuary that will give him the care he needs and not to treat him as a wildlife prop."

PETA has previously said that Groundhog Day is inhumane, arguing Groundhogs are intelligent beings, and that Phil cannot be happy in the enclosure that he’s kept in. However, the ritual brings in roughly 20,000 visitors to Punxsutawney each year. The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club's website claims Phil has been making 100% accurate predictions since 1886.

In 2002 Punxsutawney Phil predicted six more weeks of winter in front of a estimated crowd of over 40,000 (Getty Images)

PETA also restated its past offer to send a willing human to be kept in Phil’s small enclosure instead. It added that Phil can only make "unscientific weather predictions."

Commenters under PETA’s tweet were mixed regarding Phil’s role in society. One commenter said: “I don’t normally agree with you guys but this tradition is absurd as they come.” However, Harry Ballsanya argued PETA’s statement was counterproductive to animal rights, saying: “I thought PETA advocated for animals. Now you’re trying to put one out of a job and raise the unemployment rates? Disgusting.” Richie Knox seemed more preoccupied with Phil’s unbelievable life span for a small mammal. He said: “I’d say Phil is doing well if he’s lasted long enough to do this tradition 138 years.”

Emilia Randall