PETA is advocating for the retirement of Punxsutawney Phil, the groundhog famous for predicting the weather in the U.S.
The animal rights group has written a letter to Tom Dunkel, who is the president of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club. They are asking the club to replace the well-known groundhog with a large coin to celebrate Groundhog Day on February 2nd.
PETA expressed that the individual in question is not a meteorologist and should not be used solely for the purpose of generating tourism revenue, as they deserve better treatment.
Find out more: An amusement park is facing criticism and backlash after a series of giraffe deaths, with accusations of animal cruelty
PETA made a request to the club in 2022, suggesting that they should use a persimmon tree rather than Phil to forecast the weather.
According to Ingrid Newkirk, the president of PETA, Phil is skilled in digging underground, searching for food, and living a natural life according to his instincts, rather than being knowledgeable in meteorology.
PETA aims to assist the groundhog club in starting a more compassionate February 2nd by advocating for Phil and his companion to be relocated to a trustworthy sanctuary. This would allow Phil to live without concerns, without being handled and spun around, and to engage in the natural behaviors that he is currently deprived of in his Plexiglas enclosure, as stated by Newkirk.
For over a century, people from both the local community and visitors from different places have been going to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, to witness the annual event where Phil, a small and furry creature, comes out of his temporary shelter. Depending on whether he sees his shadow or not, it is believed to predict either six more weeks of winter or an early arrival of spring.
In 1993, a film called Groundhog Day was released, featuring Bill Murray in the role of a weatherman who is frustrated and trapped in a repeating time cycle.
Famous individuals who attempted to reveal the alleged secret society known as the Illuminati. The credit for the gallery goes to Taylor Alexis Heady.
Additional content can be found on Taste of Country's website. If you're looking