PETA Wants Punxsutawney Phil Replaced with Robot

The National Ledger-- Groundhog Day is right around the corner and the animal rights group PETA would like to replace the adorable Punxsutawney Phil with a robot! The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals wants organizers of Pennsylvania's Groundhog Day festival to ditch Phil for electronics, plastic and a little metal.

Phil and the town of Punxsutawney were portrayed in the movie Groundhog Day with Bill Murray, and lore has it that Phil has made weather prognostications for over 120 years.

According to Wiki the legend and celebration goes like this: "Phil emerges from his temporary home on Gobbler's Knob, located in a rural area about 2 miles east of town. According to the tradition, if Phil sees his shadow and returns to his hole, the United States will have six more weeks of winter. If Phil does not see his shadow, spring will arrive early."

PETA doesn't like it. They say says it's "unfair to keep the animal in captivity and subject him to the huge crowds and bright lights that accompany the thousands of revelers each year," reports Tampa bay Online.

Organizers says they animal is treated better than most kids in Pennsylvania and claim PETA just wants publicity.