PETA is advocating for the retirement of Punxsutawney Phil, the groundhog known for predicting the weather in the United States. They propose replacing him with a giant coin for this annual event.
The animal rights group has written a letter to Tom Dunkel, who is the president of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, asking them to replace the well-known groundhog with a big coin for the celebration of Groundhog Day on February 2nd.
PETA stated that he is not a meteorologist and should not be taken advantage of annually for the sake of tourism revenue.
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PETA approached the club in 2022 with a suggestion to utilize a persimmon tree as a weather predictor instead of relying on Phil.
"At the time, Ingrid Newkirk, president of PETA, stated that Phil is knowledgeable in the areas of burrowing, foraging, and living in accordance with his natural instincts, rather than being an expert in meteorology."
According to Newkirk, PETA wants to assist the groundhog club in starting a more compassionate February 2nd by allowing Phil (and his companion) to be sent to a trustworthy sanctuary. This way, Phil can live without any concerns, without being handled and spun around, and have the opportunity to engage in natural behaviors that he is currently deprived of in his Plexiglas enclosure.
For over a century, people from both the local community and visitors from various places have made their way to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. They gather there to witness the moment when a small and furry creature named Phil comes out of his temporary shelter. Depending on whether Phil sees his shadow or not, it indicates whether there will be six more weeks of winter or an early arrival of spring.
In 1993, the film Groundhog Day was released, featuring Bill Murray playing the role of a weatherman who is unhappy and trapped in a repeating cycle of time.
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