If it ain’t burrowed, don’t fix it.
PETA is advocating for Punxsutawney Phil, the world’s most famous groundhog, to be replaced by a cutting-edge hologram. The animal rights organization has penned a letter to the president of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, Tom Dunkel, proposing that the fluffy weather predictor be substituted with a stunning 3-D projection equipped with “vocal weather predictions.” This would allow Phil and his family to retire from the annual February 2 ceremony to a “reputable sanctuary.”
“Pixelated popstars are headlining concerts and long-departed celebrities are attending conventions, so why not put that technology to good use: on a hologram that lets the real Phil hibernate in peace,” PETA Founder Ingrid Newkirk stated in a news release.
“PETA is urging the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club to chuck its tired tradition of harassing a shy animal and give Gobbler’s Knob a glow-up with a phantom prognosticator,” Newkirk added.
The staunch animal rights organization writes a letter every year calling for the beloved rodent to be replaced with a variety of inanimate objects, including a vegan “weather reveal cake” and a giant gold coin.
“PETA notes that, when given the chance, naturally shy groundhogs avoid humans and enjoy burrowing, exploring, and hibernating — all of which are impossible in the small enclosure Phil is kept in year-round,” the group said in a statement.
The hologram would project an image of a blue Phil with the words “six more weeks of winter,” along with floating snowflakes, or display him bathed in pink light, alongside a presentation of flowers for an “early spring.”
The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club has not yet responded to The Post’s request for comment on PETA’s proposal.
