Inside Groundhog Day tragedies from Staten Island Chuck’s death after being dropped by de Blasio to Milltown Mel horror
FEBRUARY 2 marks Groundhog Day in the US, with thousands turning out to see if they're in for another six weeks of winter.
But the yearly tradition doesn't always run smoothly.
In fact, just this week New Jersey’s groundhog Milltown Mel died a day before the big event.
A Facebook page for the animal: "We wranglers are sad to report that Milltown Mel recently crossed over the rainbow bridge.
"Considering the average lifespan of a groundhog is about three years, that is not such a shock, but Mel left us at a tough time of year when most of his fellow groundhogs are hibernating.
“So no babies will be available to replace him until this Spring. We tried everywhere to get a stand-in, but to no avail.
”We will work hard on getting us a new weather prognosticator for next year, till then please check out what all of Mel’s cousins have to say on Feb 2nd."
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In 2014 then New York City mayor Bill de Blasio was invited to the Staten Island Zoo for Groundhog Day festivities, marking his first one since being elected.
The Democrat accidentally dropped Charlotte, the 10-month old female groundhog during the 2014 proceedings.
She managed to crawl up his arm after falling but died of “internal injuries” a week later.
'IT DIDN'T END WELL'
Staten Island Zoo officials insisted de Blasio didn’t kill Charlotte, though the exact cause of her fatal injuries was never determined.
De Blasio laughed but vowed to never return to the ceremony after the accident, telling the “I tried it, it didn’t end well, I won’t be back."
He also joked that the event was the “highlight” of his year.
However, he returned in 2015 for the ceremony again but the zoo had made changes to the tradition and enclosed the groundhog in a case, safe and away from the public.
After that year, De Blasio has not been back to the Staten Island Groundhog Day celebration but insisted it was not due to a “scheduling conflict.”
DE BLASIO STAYS AWAY
The mayor told the NY Daily: “I guarantee you it’s not about a schedule conflict. It’s just good to leave it in the past. I think the groundhogs deserve that.
“They need to be safe. I’ve been advised by wildlife experts to stay in a 5-mile radius away from any groundhogs for their own protection.”
In Canada the death of albino groundhog Wiarton Willie was kept a secret for more than a year.
Wiarton Mayor Janice Jackson defended the decision, saying it was to protect their brand.
She told : “The last thing we want to do is come forward on prediction morning with the brown groundhog when Wiarton Willie is the only albino prognosticator in the world.
“We didn’t want to do that to our community.”
THOUSANDS GATHER
According to folklore, if the groundhog emerges from his burrow on February 2 and sees his shadow, he will be frightened back into his hole.
This signals another six weeks of a chilly winter.
But a cloudy day - and no shadow of himself - means winter will end early, as spring is not too far away.
Celebrations take place all over, but the largest Groundhog Day celebration is in the town of Punxsutawney.
The event traditionally sees 40,000-strong crowds gather on a small hill known as Gobbler’s Knob for the festivities in Pennsylvania.
Other groundhog ceremonies are held around the U.S. every year, including in the New York City borough of Staten Island.
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The annual event has its origin in a German legend that says if a furry rodent casts a shadow on Febraury 2, winter continues. If not, spring comes early.
The day was made famous in the hit movie Groundhog Day starring Bill Murray.
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