PETA Wants Punxsutawney Phil to Be Replaced With a Vegan Cake for Groundhog Day

Radical animal rights activists are again attacking a beloved local American tradition in a ploy to gain attention.

The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is calling for Punxsutawney Phil, the famous mascot of Punxsutawney, Pa.'s Groundhog Day celebrations, to be replaced with a so-called vegan cake substitute.

On Jan. 20, PETA requested in a news release that Punxsutawney authorities replace the Groundhog Day tradition with a vegan "weather reveal" cake.

"PETA will deliver a delicious ‘Weather Reveal’ vegan cake each Groundhog Day in perpetuity if [the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club] agrees to let Punxsutawney Phil and his family retire to a reputable sanctuary, a move that will earn the outfit kudos from wildlife fans," PETA stated.

"Our letter suggests the groundhog club demonstrate true respect for Phil and set a wonderful example for how everyone can move beyond ‘Groundhog’ Day by replacing him with a delicious vegan ‘Weather Reveal’ cake that revelers can enjoy as an alternative to exploiting wild animals," PETA told Fox News, adding, "the time is long overdue."

Groundhog Day has been an American celebration in several towns nationwide since 1887, each with its own chubby prophesizing rodent.

Every Feb. 2, thousands of visitors head to Gobbler’s Knob park in the small Pennsylvania town of Punxsutawney to view Phil's prediction of the weather. According to tradition, if Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow and tries to run away, it is assumed that winter will last another six weeks, but if he does not see his shadow, spring is expected to arrive sooner.

The animal rights group also sent a letter to the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, which is the home of Punxsutawney Phil, lecturing the club that the groundhog's annual duties were "no piece of cake" and that "groundhogs are shy prey animals who, when allowed, actively avoid humans."

"Yet, year after year, Phil is transported to Gobbler’s Knob, whisked on stage, and subjected to a noisy announcer, screaming crowds, and flashing lights against all his natural instincts," PETA complained.

"If approached in his natural habitat, he would run away in fear, not volunteer to live year-round in captivity, unable to do anything that’s natural and important to him like hibernate or burrow – just to be a town’s once-a-year fake meteorologist."

This is not the first time that PETA has called for Groundhog Day traditions to be abolished; it suggested replacing Punxsutawney Phil with a giant gold coin in 2024. The group also planted advertisements around Sun Prairie, Wis., which hosts its own tradition of Jimmy the Groundhog, to convince locals there to retire him as well.

PETA's president, Ingrid Newkirk released a statement calling for the hosts of Punxsutawney's Groundhog Day celebrations to "sprinkle some happiness" into the animal's life by retiring him from public view.

"When allowed to be themselves, groundhogs avoid humans, create intricate networks of underground burrows, communicate with one another, and even climb trees, but poor Phil is denied all of that for a tired old gimmick," wrote Newkirk.

Last year, Punxsutawney Phil did not see his shadow, which led to a premonition for an early spring, followed by cheers and boos from the audience.