PETA is advocating for the retirement of Punxsutawney Phil, the groundhog known for its annual weather prediction tradition in the U.S. They propose replacing the celebrated creature with a giant coin.
The controversial animal rights group has recently written an open letter to Tom Dunkel, the president of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club. In the letter, they have expressed their request for the club to consider replacing the traditional groundhog with a large coin for the Groundhog Day holiday, scheduled for February 2nd.
PETA expressed that the individual being referred to is not an expert in meteorology and should not be continuously used solely for the purpose of generating tourism revenue.
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PETA approached the club in 2022 and proposed the idea of using a persimmon tree as a weather predictor instead of relying on Phil.
During that time, PETA president Ingrid Newkirk stated that Phil is knowledgeable and skilled in burrowing, foraging, and living according to 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 relocated 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.
Since 1887, people from both the local community and visitors from distant places have made their way to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, to witness the annual event where a small creature named Phil comes out of his temporary residence. Depending on whether he sees his shadow or not, it is believed to indicate either six more weeks of winter or an early arrival of spring.
Released in 1993, Groundhog Day is a film that features Bill Murray in the role of a weatherman who is frustrated and trapped in a repetitive time cycle.
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