PETA wants to replace famous groundhog Punxsutawney Phil with an animatronic replica

If there's one organization that loves animatronic technology more than Disney, it's definitely People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

The controversial animal-rights group -- which just a few months back asked the University of Georgia to replace its recently deceased bulldog mascot with a robotic one over concerns for a real dog's welfare -- is at it again. This time around, PETA's target is a seemingly innocuous band of revelers: The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club.

Yup -- PETA wants to take Punxsutawney Phil away from Gobbler's Knob and give the little guy a dignified retirement at an animal sanctuary. In his place, you guessed it: A robot groundhog.

Gemma Vaughan, PETA's animals in entertainment specialist, fired off a letter to groundhog club president William Deeley this week, asking for his promise that the group will forgo the use of real rodents in future Groundhog Day celebrations. Little Phil, Vaughan wrote, is a pretty unhappy fellow, "forced to be on display year round at the local library and is denied the ability to prepare for and enter yearly hibernation." Groundhogs are typically shy creatures, Vaughan goes on to explain, and they can become easily upset when confronted by throngs of people, loud noises and camera flashes. 

Interestingly, Phil made several attempts to escape his home at the Punxsutawney Library last year, perhaps yearning for the greener pastures of rodent retirement. His fellow prognosticating groundhog, a resident of the Staten Island Zoo named Charles G. Hogg ("Staten Island Chuck" to his friends), seemed similarly displeased with his career as a weatherman when he bit New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg during a 2009 Groundhog Day celebration. (Bloomberg wasn't badly injured, but he did appear to bear Chuck some ill will, referring to him at a news conference later as a "terrorist rodent that might very well have been trained by Al Qaeda in Afghanistan.")

So maybe PETA's onto something when it suggests that Phil isn't exactly living the high life?  Deeley scoffs at that notion; he told the Associated Press that the famous groundhog is "being treated better than the average child in Pennsylvania" and, further, is inspected every year by the state's agriculture department.

According to PETA executive vice president Tracy Reiman, an animatronic Phil "would attract new and curious tourists" to Punxsutawney's annual event. We're not sure about all that, but we'd like to take this opportunity to propose an alternate plan: Phil (who, if you believe his press, has been making predictions for more than 120 years and could probably use a rest) can retire to a sanctuary and simply alert his fans to the coming of spring via text message. 

He's planning on doing that anyway, the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club announced this year. And a text-messaging groundhog, strange as it may seem, is still far preferable to a creepy, robotic one. Are we right, or are we right?

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-- Lindsay Barnett

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Photo: Handler John Griffiths holds Phil after removing him from his stump at Gobbler's Knob on Groundhog Day 2009.  Credit: Carolyn Kaster / Associated Press

Comments

[Joseph]

PETA continues to prove why they are a laughingstock to the average, reasonable person.

[Sandy]

This has been a tradition for so long, why change it now?

[Sandy]

This has been a tradition for so long, why change it now.

[Eric Bressler]

PETA, just go away. You've become a bad caricature of yourselves.

[Jason Graves]

Wow. This is probably the most ridiculous thing that PETA has proposed to date;
This group is completely out of control. I tend to wonder, too, if there is a pile of money involved with PETA, and who is sitting on top of it?
No disrespect intended to nature, but let's be real - it's a groundhog... essentially a large rat. There is no shortage of groundhogs throughout the world, and we don't eat them. So what are they good for? Not much, but also they are not being hunted, but here we have PETA freaking out because they pull a groundhog out once a year in front of a lot of people.
Consider this - the groundhog only works one day out of the year - and is taken care of the other 364 days. If they decide to get rid of the groundhog, I'd be glad to take it's place. Heck, the animal is living better than most of us...
This is just one of the many groups clogging the American psyche with ridiculous and useless information that detracts us from what is really going on. Don't we have bigger fish to fry? Oops - shouldn't have used the 'frying fish' analogy... Sorry, PETA

[Verballistic]

The agenda-driven hypocrisy of PETA can be clearly illustrated by one blatant example of their over-the-top nonsense:

When over 50 abused dogs were rescued from the properties of convicted dog abuser and NFL star Michael Vick, PETA pulled one of their traditional moves of media grand-standing by DEMANDING that all of the dogs be EUTHANIZED. Local officials resisted the political pressure to do that and today, almost all of those dogs have made amazing recoveries.

BOTTOM LINE: PETA cares far more about their pocketbook and political power than they do about the lives of individual animals, which can be sacrificed if doing so will advance the PETA agenda.

[thetravelingsuper]

I think it would be better if we replaced the people at PETA with some anatomically correct Androids, like the Japanese are developing. The andriods are certainly more intelligent.

[Gorger]

Geeze louise, will SOMEONE PLEASE MAKE PETA GO AWAY! They're more full of (expletives) than just about any extremist group out there...maybe with the exception of antiabortion groups who firebomb clinics and kill doctors. Does anyone remember the PETA members who killed puppies and kittens???

[Gaby C]

PETA - People Eating Tasty Animals

[kennyd57]

animals are good for two things, eating and wearing their furs ! peta go away you morons!

[canchaser]

Wow!! what has this world come to. I agree with Joseph & sandy. Traditions need to stay alive.

[Mia]

When PETA actually stops killing animals then maybe they would have a leg to stand on. They want to outlaw fishing hunting and ownership of animals. How about they take their millions and help animals?

They are a joke and should have their nonprofit status revoked since all they do is torture people and kill animals.

[Billy Harley]

What in the name of god are these Morons smoking????..It's better than what the rest of us can afford because Peta is about only one thing... SHOW ME THE MONEY!!!!

[Alan]

Oh, paaaaaaaaaaaalease!!!!!!!
Gaby C, you're a riot. I loved your comment.

[Chiara]

Viewed Groundhog? Fifty times or more!
Enjoy each time more than before,
The script? Simply great,
And the Actors first rate,
It's my favorite revolving door.

[jamie]

Now six more weeks of winter will be decided by a Roomba?

[Michael Vick]

serious. all you PETA people are crackheads. You want fair treatment for animals... yet you go to McDonalds and eat hamburgers....aka slaughtered cows..Hippocrites

[Colin]

wow.... first obama and the fly, now this