Groundhog Day

Despite all of the snow currently coming down around the law library on this Saturday afternoon, Groundhog Day predictions indicate that the end of winter might be closer than we think. Punxsutawney Phil, America’s famous groundhog meteorologist, did not see his shadow this year so we all should be graced with an early spring.

What many people probably do not think about on Groundhog Day is the history of complaints from animal rights activists and PETA against the event. Phil currently lives in the Punxsutawney Memorial Library in a heated terrarium named “The Groundhog Zoo.” This arrangement bothers PETA because it forces Phil to be on display year round and also causes him to be unable to properly hibernate. In 2010 PETA even proposed that Phil should be replaced by a robot so that he could lead a natural life. Apparently neither the general public nor the people of Punxsutawney, PA, have warmed up to the idea of substituting a cute fuzzy rodent for a cold machine yet.

For more information on this year’s Groundhog Day read this article from the Chicago Tribune.