Groundhog Day may by Friday, but Sunny the groundhog at the Racine Zoo has no interest in predicting the weather this year.
So the zoo has opted for a stand-in… Minnie, a Striped Skunk.
“Sunny, the Zoo’s groundhog has recently decided that she would like to retire her meteorologist cap and Minnie has graciously accepted the new role,” according to officials with the Racine Zoo.
Groundhog Day has been an annual tradition since 1887 and it started in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. If a groundhog comes out of his hole on Feb. 2 and sees its shadow, it “gets scared” and scurries back into its burrow. If that happens, we’re in for six more weeks of winter. But if he (or she) doesn’t see a shadow, we’re in for an early spring, according to the History Channel.
But this year, Minnie will make her debut as a meteorological maven at 9 a.m. on the Racine Zoo’s Facebook page.
“What is your guess? Let us know by commenting while you are watching,” zoo officials said.