PETA suggests 'weather reveal' cake to replace famous groundhog Punxsutawney Phil

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People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is suggesting giving famed rodent Punxsutawney Phil an early retirement from predicting whether winter will last longer or spring will arrive early: a "weather reveal" dessert.

The non-profit animal rights group commonly known as PETA says in a news release that they've made an "irresistible offer" to Tom Dunkel, president of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club.

In a letter to Dunkel, PETA offered to deliver a vegan cake to Punxsutawney Phil's home of Gobbler's Knob in Pennsylvania each Groundhog Day, indefinitely. That's if Dunkel agrees to the let the groundhog and his family live out the rest of their days at a reputable sanctuary.

The "weather dessert" cake is a play on the gender reveal cake, except blue on the inside of the cake would signify six more weeks of winter and pink would indicate an early spring.

"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,” PETA President Ingrid Newkirk said in a statement. "PETA is urging The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club to sprinkle some happiness into Phil’s life by retiring him and giving Groundhog Day a much-needed ‘cake makeover.’”

The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club did not immediately respond to Paste BN's request for comment on Tuesday afternoon. Read PETA's letter to the club here.

PETA has made similar suggestions in the past

Last year PETA suggested the groundhog be replaced with a giant gold coin and in 2022, they suggested officials predict the weather with persimmon seeds, KTLA5 reported.

Although few expect Gobbler's Knob to take PETA up on any of the offers anytime soon, the group still tries to draw attention to what they view as animal mistreatment.

"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," reads Newkirk's letter to Dunkel. "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.

She added: "We know that locals and tourists who genuinely respect Phil want him to live his life doing what’s natural to him."

Who is Punxsutawney Phil?

Punxsutawney Phil, a beloved groundhog, has predicted the weather in "Groundhogese" since 1886, according to the club.

Groundhog Day traditions as we know them, including Phil's highly anticipated prediction, started a year later.

He is also known as the Seer of Seers, Prognosticator of Prognosticators, Weather Predictor Extraordinaire, Br’er Groundhog and National Treasure. When he isn't predicting the weather, he can be found at home with his wife, Phyliss.

As if he weren't famous enough, he was further immortalized in the 1993 film "Groundhog Day" starring Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell and set in Gobbler's Knob.

What is Groundhog Day and when is it?

Groundhog Day is celebrated on Monday, Feb. 2 this year.

People far and wide travel to Gobbler’s Knob to witness Phil's prediction. Festivities are held on multiple days over the course of the week, but Phil usually makes his prediction by Monday morning.

According to the Old Farmer's Almanac, the holiday stems from a centuries-old Pagan and Christian tradition known as St. Brigid’s Day.

German settlers were the ones who brought the tradition to the U.S., but they used a hedgehog and not a groundhog. Due to a lack of hedgehogs, settlers began to rely on the groundhog, another hibernating animal.

Contributing: Julia Gomez