A Kentucky groundhog died on Groundhog Day — just days after predicting an early spring.. Major, a nearly 10-year-old rodent meteorologist living at the Second Chances Wildlife Center Milltown Mel, a groundhog who has for years offered his weather predictions on Groundhog Day, has died, his handlers say. They say Mel "recently crossed over the rainbow bridge" — and their The Groundhog Day event in Val-d'Espoir, Quebec in eastern Canada began Thursday morning with music and dancing, Blondin believes Fred died in hibernation late last year. Roberto Blondin, pictured holding Fred, said he likely died in late fall or early December. The organizer of Thursday's Groundhog Day event in Val-d'Espoir announced the sombre news following Fans of Groundhog Day will be happy to know that its shining star, Punxsutawney Phil, has not died in 2022. Indeed, the famous animal emerged from his burrow on Feb. 2, 2022, and saw his shadow, predicting another extra six weeks of winter. Mel died just before Groundhog Day, leaving his community in central New Jersey "at a tough time of year, when most of his fellow groundhogs are hibernating." In a Facebook post, the wranglers The Second Chances Wildlife Center shared on social media that their beloved weather-predicting groundhog, Major, died on Groundhog Day. "Sadly, and most ironically, Major passed away peacefully Blondin discovered his furry friend had died when he went to wake him from hibernation to get him ready for the Groundhog Day ritual. For the past 14 years, Fred would wake up every Feb. 2 to let Milltown Mel, one of New Jersey's weather-predicting groundhogs, died Sunday — just days before the big annual ceremony. His death was announced on the groundhog's official Facebook page. It New Jersey's beloved weather-predicting groundhog — Milltown Mel — has died. The animal prognosticator passed away on Sunday, days before he was supposed to make his annual Groundhog Day The second Mel died just before Groundhog Day 2022. The state confiscated his replacement just a few months later. So yet another hollow Feb. 2nd will pass in Milltown without the glory of a A Groundhog Club handler holds Punxsutawney Phil, the weather-prognosticating groundhog, during the 133rd celebration of Groundhog Day on Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, on Feb. 2, 2019. When is Groundhog Day 2025? Groundhog Day will take place Sunday, Feb. 2, 2025. Thousands will show up in person, with the grounds to Gobblers Knob opening at 4 a.m., and millions will tune in to see if Punxsutawney Phil will see his shadow. More: Where to watch Bill Murray's 1993 classic movie 'Groundhog Day' for Groundhog Day. What is Call it a Groundhog Day déjà vu. For the fifth year in a row, a New Jersey borough has had to cancel its beloved Groundhog Day celebration for a simple, and pretty important, reason: They can't Originally, Groundhog Day was a Celtic festival marking the year’s first cross-quarter day, or a midpoint between seasons. Read more about the ancient Celtic calendar here. Celebrated at the beginning of February, the day was called Imbolc —a term from Old Irish that is most often translated as “in the belly”—a reference to the soon The 6’5” mayor was visiting the zoo for Groundhog Day on Feb. 2, 2014, when he ran into trouble wrangling the anxious rodent. Primary Menu Sections. The groundhog later died. Groundhog Day is an "unusual holiday," according to the Farmers Almanac, that dates back centuries to European traditions. It was originally a Celtic festival marking the year’s first cross The passing of Elsa, an African Pygmy Hedgehog, comes just three years after another popular rodent from New Jersey — groundhog Milltown Mel — died before his big day in the spotlight. Every February 2, on Groundhog Day, Willie takes part in the local Wiarton Willie Festival. His role is to predict whether there will be an early spring. Although the original Wiarton Willie died in 1999, the Wiarton groundhog day celebrations continue each year with the original Willie's successors, referred to as "Wee Willie." Waldo the groundhog. After Woodine died, the zoo "borrowed" a groundhog named Chucky from the Milwaukee Public Museum for the Feb. 2 honors. But she took part in the zoo's Groundhog Day events
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