PETA is advocating for Punxsutawney Phil to step down from his long-standing role of predicting the weather in the United States. They propose replacing him with a giant coin instead.
The animal rights group has written a letter to Tom Dunkel, the president of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, asking them to replace the well-known groundhog with a large coin on Groundhog Day, which occurs on February 2nd.
PETA expressed that the person being referred to in the statement is not a meteorologist and should not be taken advantage of every year for the sake of generating tourism revenue.
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PETA approached the club in 2022 and suggested the idea of using a persimmon tree as a means to forecast the weather, as an alternative to relying on Phil.
"At the time, PETA president Ingrid Newkirk stated that Phil is highly skilled in digging underground, searching for food, and living in harmony with nature, rather than having expertise in meteorology."
According to Newkirk, PETA wants to support the groundhog club in starting a more compassionate February 2nd celebration. They are advocating for Phil and his companion to be sent to a trustworthy sanctuary, where they can live without any concerns. In this sanctuary, Phil can freely engage in natural behaviors that he is currently deprived of in his enclosed Plexiglas space.
For over a century, people from near and far have been coming to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, to witness the annual event of Phil, a small furry creature, emerging from its temporary dwelling. This event determines whether there will be six more weeks of winter if Phil sees his shadow or an early arrival of spring if he doesn't.
The film Groundhog Day, featuring Bill Murray as an unhappy weatherman trapped in a repetitive time cycle, was made available to the public in 1993.
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