PETA is offering to send a giant gold coin to replace Punxsutawney Phil.

The animal rights organization wrote a letter to The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club's president saying they'd send a giant coin in exchange for Phil's release to a reputable sanctuary.

Using multiple coin toss puns, PETA President Ingrid Newkirk points out in her letter that Phil's predictions are correct about 40% of the time, so flipping a coin would give a more accurate forecast.

"Groundhogs can't make heads or tails of the weather forecast and shouldn't be jostled around by large members of a different species and thrust in front of noisy crowds for a photo op," Newkirk said in a news release. "PETA is urging The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club to send Phil to a reputable sanctuary that will give him the care he needs and not to treat him as a wildlife prop."

PETA calls Groundhog Day inhumane, saying groundhogs are highly intelligent animals that enjoy burrowing, exploring and hibernating -- activities Phil can't do in the small enclosure where he's kept.

To read the complete article, see:
PETA offers to replace Punxsutawney Phil with giant gold coin(https://www.cbsnews.com/pittsburgh/news/peta-replace-punxsutawney-phil-giant-coin-groundhog-day/)

This offer is not the first time PETA has tried to replace Phil. Previous offers from the organization included a human replacement for Phil, who would live in his small enclosure and take his place making unscientific weather predictions, and planting a persimmon tree, whose seeds are believed by some farmers to indicate the weather ahead. PETA says both of those offers still stand, alongside their new coin offer.

Groundhog Day is on February 2, 2024.

To read the complete article, see:
PETA Wants to Replace Punxsutawney Phil with a Giant Gold Coin(https://phl17.com/phl17-news/peta-wants-to-replace-punxsutawney-phil-with-a-giant-gold-coin/)