PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. — Animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has sent a letter asking for the groundhog Punxsutawney Phil to be retired ahead of this year’s Groundhog Day.
Each Feb. 2, The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club hosts a celebration at Gobbler’s Knob as Phil the groundhog comes out of his burrow and “predicts” whether there will be six more weeks of winter or an early spring based on whether he sees his shadow.
In a letter sent to Jeff Lundy, the president of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, PETA’s president asks for Punxsutawney Phil, as well as his companion Phyllis, to be retired. The letter reads, in part, “As you know, Phil is certainly not a real meteorologist and didn’t volunteer for this job. For far too long, he’s been dragged out of a fake tree stump and subjected to noise, flashing lights, and crowds, against all of his natural instincts. For the rest of the year he’s forced to live in a library “habitat” that doesn’t allow him to do anything that’s natural and important to him, such as hibernating, digging, burrowing, foraging, smelling fresh air, and simply living like a sentient being, not an exhibit.”
The letter offers to send Lundy a persimmon tree to plant in Gobbler’s Knob, saying the trees are said to be “accurate in predicting the weather 25% of the time, not too far off from Phil’s average.”
This is not the first time PETA has encouraged the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club to retire Phil. Previously, PETA suggested Phil be replaced with an animatronic version of the groundhog that could use technology to predict the weather. At the time, Phil’s caretakers said the idea was outrageous and asserted that the animal was well cared for, WJAC reported. PETA’s most recent letter reiterates its offer to donate an animatronic groundhog, as well.
The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club has not responded to PETA’s most recent letter, but posted a photo of Phil on Instagram, promoting next week’s event.
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