By John Di Leonardo
“Groundhog Day” is a regional tradition in North America in which a large rodent, also known as a woodchuck, and make-shift “burrow” is hauled in front of a large crowd on February 2nd of each year. Ostensibly, according to tradition, if the groundhog emerges from their burrow on this day and sees their shadow, they will retreat to their den and winter will go on for six more weeks; if they do not see their shadow, Spring will arrive early. Unfortunately for us—and the groundhogs—groundhogs are not meteorologists and like most wild animals are shy in front of large crowds. When given the choice, groundhogs are solitary animals who even only socialize with other groundhogs to choose a partner.
To see why groundhogs should be allowed to be groundhogs and do what groundhogs do—which at this time of the year is sleep—we need look no further than Staten Island Chuck who bit Mayor Michael Bloomberg and his stand-in, Charlotte, who passed away a week after being dropped by Mayor Bill de Blasio. Even Malverne Mel—a groundhog exploited for my hometown’s tradition—attempted to escape last year's ceremony after being frightened by a dog.
Thankfully, this cruel tradition may soon be coming to an end. Last Groundhog Day, I attended Long Island's first groundhog-free Groundhog Day, where a willing human performer played the part of Babylon Belle. In the words of Babylon Village Mayor Mary Adams, "Babylon Belle is not just your average groundhog. She's protecting our wildlife too. And we're keeping safe and happy all our outdoor friends including groundhogs from being upset and stressed and having the early morning blues!"
This year, my organization Humane Long Island built upon that tradition by partnering with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) to send a letter to Malverne Mayor Timothy Sullivan urging him to retire Malverne Mel and offering to replace the beleaguered animal with a costume that can be worn by a willing human participant, like the one worn by the Village of Babylon’s own “groundhog,” Babylon Belle. Mayor Tim Sullivan met with me for two hours last week about this matter and I am hopeful that we will work together to find an agreeable alternative for Malverne Mel’s 30th anniversary next year.
We also protested outside the Holtsville Ecology Site – which is under investigation by the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office following allegations of neglect and abuse by half a dozen former employees – urging the town of Brookhaven not to exploit another groundhog named “Holtsville Hal” who is brought to the Ecology Site by a director of a local zoo responsible for the negligent death of a giraffe in 2023. Our protests were a success and Holtsville Hal was replaced by an online poem and cartoon groundhog for this year’s event.
For this week’s Anuvrat, I invite readers to examine their own traditions through the lens of Ahimsa and remember that as times change, traditions can (and often should) evolve. Perhaps this may come in the form of replacing dairy – which is stolen from grieving cows – with a non-dairy alternative or replacing fireworks – which terrify dogs, cats, wildlife, and veterans alike – with a light show. No matter the tradition, let’s always remember to get creative, not cruel.
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John Di Leonardo is the founding director of Humane Long Island. He was previously the Senior Manager of Grassroots Campaigns and Animals in Entertainment Campaigns for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). He has a Master's degree in Anthrozoology from Canisius College. He also earned a graduate certificate in Jain Studies from the International School of Jain Studies (ISJS) in India. John can be reached at [email protected]. (Photo provided by author)
