The night before he was set to predict whether spring would be early or late, Val-d'Espoir Quebec groundhog Fred la marmotte was found dead. He was nine-years old.."In life, the only thing that's certain is that nothing is certain," a sombre Groundhog Day event organizer Roberto Blondin said in front of a crowd on Thursday morning. "Well, this year it's true. It's true and it's unfortunate. I announce to you the death of Fred.".Blondin said the lifeless body of Fred was found overnight when he tried to wake him. The groundhog had "no vital signs," and Blondin figured Fred passed away in late fall or early December, while he was hibernating..Groundhogs typically live up to six years in the wild, though two to three is average. In captivity, groundhogs can live for well over 10 years, sometimes closer to 15..Instead, a child attending the event wearing a groundhog hat filled in for Fred. The child, with a stuffed toy groundhog in hand, predicted six more weeks of winter..According to folklore, if a groundhog sees its shadow on Groundhog Day, winter last longer. But if it doesn't spot its shadow, spring-like weather will soon arrive..Blondin said next year, the community will have a new groundhog to make the prediction, named Fred Junior..Across eastern Canada, there were mixed messages about how long spring would last. Ontario's Wiarton Willie called for an early spring, while Nova Scotia's Shubenacadie Sam, saw her shadow this morning..This is not the first time Groundhog Day accompanied tragedy in North America. Back in 2014, then-New York City mayor Bill de Blasio dropped groundhog Staten Island Chuck during the ceremony..A week later, the Staten Island Zoo announced the groundhog passed away due to “acute internal injuries.".In 2015, de Blasio stayed far away from the groundhog during the ceremony. After that, he did not attend another ceremony..“I tried it, it didn't end well, I won't be back,” he told news outlets in 2020.
The night before he was set to predict whether spring would be early or late, Val-d'Espoir Quebec groundhog Fred la marmotte was found dead. He was nine-years old.."In life, the only thing that's certain is that nothing is certain," a sombre Groundhog Day event organizer Roberto Blondin said in front of a crowd on Thursday morning. "Well, this year it's true. It's true and it's unfortunate. I announce to you the death of Fred.".Blondin said the lifeless body of Fred was found overnight when he tried to wake him. The groundhog had "no vital signs," and Blondin figured Fred passed away in late fall or early December, while he was hibernating..Groundhogs typically live up to six years in the wild, though two to three is average. In captivity, groundhogs can live for well over 10 years, sometimes closer to 15..Instead, a child attending the event wearing a groundhog hat filled in for Fred. The child, with a stuffed toy groundhog in hand, predicted six more weeks of winter..According to folklore, if a groundhog sees its shadow on Groundhog Day, winter last longer. But if it doesn't spot its shadow, spring-like weather will soon arrive..Blondin said next year, the community will have a new groundhog to make the prediction, named Fred Junior..Across eastern Canada, there were mixed messages about how long spring would last. Ontario's Wiarton Willie called for an early spring, while Nova Scotia's Shubenacadie Sam, saw her shadow this morning..This is not the first time Groundhog Day accompanied tragedy in North America. Back in 2014, then-New York City mayor Bill de Blasio dropped groundhog Staten Island Chuck during the ceremony..A week later, the Staten Island Zoo announced the groundhog passed away due to “acute internal injuries.".In 2015, de Blasio stayed far away from the groundhog during the ceremony. After that, he did not attend another ceremony..“I tried it, it didn't end well, I won't be back,” he told news outlets in 2020.
