Let the groundhogs hibernate

To the Editor:

Groundhogs are wild animals and true hibernators, yet every year they are pulled out of captivity — not their natural dens — for a tradition that has nothing to do with their well‑being. The practice began with German immigrants in the 1800s, who used hedgehogs or badgers on Candlemas Day to guess when winter might end. When they came to America, they substituted the groundhog, and a Pennsylvania newspaper editor helped turn Punxsutawney Phil into a spectacle.

Phil’s prediction has nothing to do with the weather anywhere. It is a performance built on superstition, not science.

Early February is when groundhogs should be in deep hibernation, not woken, handled, or displayed for crowds. The animals used in these events live in cages or small enclosures year‑round, and being pulled out for ceremonies is harmful to them. They are not props, and disrupting their natural cycle causes stress and affects their health.

Some of the consequences are well-documented. A groundhog in Sun Prairie bit the mayor after being pulled from hibernation and held up for a crowd. In New York, a groundhog dropped during a photo op later died from internal injuries. Others show clear signs of panic when exposed to bright lights, loud crowds, and handling. These traditions put both animals and people at risk.

Most of us would struggle if we were suddenly dragged out of sleep and thrust into a noisy crowd under bright lights. For a true hibernator, that shock is far more extreme and far more damaging. Groundhogs deserve better than to be woken from hibernation and used as entertainment.

Lori Chiolino

Rhinelander