PETA is advocating for the retirement of Punxsutawney Phil, the groundhog who is currently involved in predicting the weather in the United States.
The animal rights group has written a letter to Tom Dunkel, the president of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, expressing their desire for the club to substitute the traditional groundhog with a large coin to celebrate Groundhog Day on February 2nd.
PETA expressed that he is not a professional in meteorology and should not be continuously used for financial gains in the tourism industry.
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PETA made a request to the club in 2022, suggesting the usage of a persimmon tree as a means to forecast the weather rather than relying on Phil.
During the time, PETA president Ingrid Newkirk stated that Phil is well-versed in digging tunnels, searching for food, and leading a life as per his natural instincts, rather than being knowledgeable in meteorology.
PETA is advocating for the groundhog club to start February 2nd in a more compassionate way by sending Phil and his companion to a trustworthy sanctuary. This way, Phil can live without any concerns, without being handled roughly, and have the opportunity to engage in natural behaviors that he is currently deprived of in his Plexiglas enclosure, as expressed by Newkirk.
For over a century, people from both the local community and visitors from distant places have been coming to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. They gather to witness the emergence of a small and furry creature called Phil from his temporary habitat. Depending on whether Phil sees his shadow or not, it predicts either six more weeks of winter or an early arrival of spring.
In 1993, the film Groundhog Day was released, featuring Bill Murray as a weatherman who is unhappy with his job and finds himself trapped in a repetitive cycle of time.
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