Marmot's shadow: what did rodents predict this year? (3 photos)

They didn't let me sleep. Disgruntled marmots predicted another cold month and a half for Americans.





This tradition in America is more than a century old. On February 2, half-asleep marmots are lured out of their holes into the light of day. They are children of nature, they are obliged to feel its breath, overseas marmot experts and marmot breeders are sure.



Phil from the Pennsylvania town of Punxsutawney considered it best to try to retreat back to the warm “apartment” as soon as he looked out into the light of day. People, of course, still tormented him and staged a show with a photo shoot. But they put it on their sleeves: there’s no point in expecting warm weather early, the weather won’t be good for about six more weeks. The rodent behaved approximately the same way a year ago, and winter really did not hand over the baton to spring for a long time.



Montana Public Radio reported the sad news that another furry herald of spring, Mel from Milltown, New Jersey, died shortly before Groundhog Day. His owner said that everything happened unexpectedly; he did not have time to find a replacement for the “oracle”. But he promised to do it by next February.