PETA wants famous Punxsutawney Phil to retire, replaced with animatronic groundhog

PUNXSUTAWNEY, Penn. -- Ahead of Groundhog Day this Sunday, PETA sent a letter urging The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club to retire famous Phil and another Punxsutawney groundhog.

In the letter, the animal rights group suggested replacing Phil with an animatronic groundhog that could actually predict the weather using artificial intelligence.

"Gentle, vulnerable groundhogs are not barometers," PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman said.

Groundhog day is an age-old tradition in the United States and Canada that dates back to the 1800s originating in Dutch Pennsylvania communities.

The superstition claims if Phil sees his shadow on February 2, we can expect six more weeks of winter and if he doesn't see his shadow, spring will come early.

You can read PETA's full letter to Punxsutawney Groundhog Club President Bill Deeley below:

Dear Mr. Deeley,

Times change. Traditions evolve. It's long overdue for Phil to be retired.

As a prey species, groundhogs actively avoid humans. Being in close proximity to the public causes these animals great stress.

When Phil is dragged out of his hole and held up to flashing lights and crowds, he has no idea what's happening. Being relegated to a library "habitat" for the other days of the year doesn't allow him or the other groundhog there to dig, burrow, or forage.

It's no kind of life for these animals.

Using technologically advanced electromechanical devices such as animatronics instead of live animals is more popular than ever.

We even have the technology to create an animatronic groundhog with artificial intelligence (AI) that could actually predict the weather.

An AI Phil would renew interest in Punxsutawney, generating a great deal of buzz, much like Sony's robot dog "aibo," which walks, plays, misbehaves, and responds to commands.

By creating an AI Phil, you could keep Punxsutawney at the center of Groundhog Day but in a much more progressive way. Talk about taking your town's annual tradition in a fresh and innovative direction!

Today's young people are born into a world of terabytes, and to them, watching a nocturnal rodent being pulled from a fake hole isn't even worthy of a text message.

This is a generation whose members book rides on their smart phones and will never walk into a bank to deposit a check. Ignoring the nation's fast-changing demographics might well prove the end of Groundhog Day.

We'd be happy to make recommendations for a sanctuary that would welcome Phil and the other Punxsutawney groundhog.

Instead of working at cross-purposes, let's collaborate to create a sunny future. I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours truly,
Ingrid Newkirk, President
PETA