Today’s news services mentioned that Punxsutawney Phil, the
weather-forecasting Pennsylvania groundhog, had seen his shadow; and
that this means that six more weeks of winter are in store for us.
In the wild, groundhogs (members of the squirrel family and also
known as woodchucks) eat succulent green plants, such as dandelion,
clover, and grasses, and not the dog food and ice cream that are fed to
Phil who is said to weigh 15 pounds, according to his handlers! How much
better off (and happier) Phil would be if he were fed vegetation instead
of processed “food.” Unfortunately, this groundhog happens to be just
one more exploited animal.
Groundhog Day had its origin as an American legend that started with
the Pennsylvania Germans. It says that on the second day of February the
groundhog awakens from his long winter sleep, sticks his head out of his
home in the ground, and looks around. If the sun is shining and the
groundhog can see his shadow, he is frightened and crawls back into his
hole. Then winter lasts another six weeks. If the day is cloudy and the
groundhog cannot see his shadow, he stays out of his hole and winter has
come to an end. This legend has become a permanent part of American
folklore.
Also visit:
http://www.all-creatures.org/anex/index.html
