The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is again advocating for retiring Pennsylvania’s beloved forecasting groundhog from his meteorology duties.
And Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro is not a fan.
In a social media post this week, Shapiro seemed to reject PETA’s latest suggestion to replace Punxsutawney Phil with a massive, state-of-the-art, three-dimensional hologram groundhog. The animal rights activist group offered that the projection could be outfitted with vocal weather predictions and light up the stage at Gobbler’s Knob each year.
A kinder forecast is here!
— PETA (@peta) January 22, 2026
PETA's bright idea for Groundhog Day would retire Phil from his life as a prop and let tradition shine without cruelty ???? pic.twitter.com/7MIOsl4jT0
It would take the famed furry prognosticator’s place on Groundhog Day in forecasting whether there will be six more weeks of winter or an early spring.
“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 said in a statement. “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.”
Shapiro doesn’t seem convinced by PETA’s proposal, sharing a social media post about PETA’s pitch with a photo of Phil emblazoned on a yellow flag with the words “Don’t tread on me,” a nod to the well-known Gadsden flag.
https://t.co/nbMblsumqh pic.twitter.com/ROrtr0wfQl
— Governor Josh Shapiro (@GovernorShapiro) January 21, 2026
According to PETA, groundhogs are naturally shy. They avoid humans and enjoy burrowing, exploring and hibernating.
This isn’t the first time the group has suggested replacing Phil. Last year, the group suggested a “weather reveal” cake, similar to the popular gender-reveal cakes. The prior year, PETA suggested flipping a gold coin instead of asking the groundhog whether he sees his shadow.
PETA has also offered to provide a human replacement who would live in Phil’s enclosure, making “unscientific weather predictions” in his place. The group also suggested planting a persimmon tree, whose seeds are thought to predict the weather ahead.
The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club was established in 1887. Its 15-member inner circle has the responsibility “to protect and perpetuate the legend of the great weather-predicting groundhog Punxsutawney Phil.”
