Animatronic Phil

Next Tuesday is Groundhog's Day, the day the great rodent is plucked from his burrow and exposed to the sunlight. It made for a great Bill Murray movie, and they have quite a spectacle in Pennsylvania, but the folks at PETA needed some attention so here you go:

Next week, Punxsutawney Phil will make his annual appearance to decide whether we will experience another six months of winter or whether spring has finally arrived. However, PETA has other plans — they have demanded that Phil be replaced this year with a robot. You got that right — a robot. According to the Associated Press:

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals says it’s unfair to keep the animal in captivity and subject him to the huge crowds and bright lights that accompany tens of thousands of revelers each Feb. 2 in Punxsutawney, a tiny borough about 65 miles northeast of Pittsburgh. PETA is suggesting the use of an animatronic model.

However, it doesn’t look like Phil is going anywhere soon. According to event organizers, the groundhog is “treated better than the average child in Pennsylvania” and even receives an annual checkup from the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.

Now, if a "Phil" was sacrificed to the gods every year on February 2nd PETA might be onto something, but it sounds like the creature is pretty well taken care of. And with all those movie residuals coming in, he'll be in better shape than most PETA members.