PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. (WTAJ) — Just like each year, Punxsutawney Phil will make his prognostication for thousands of people at Gobbler’s Knob and on television screens across the nation. However, some may wonder what Phil does the other 364 days of the year.
If you think Punxsy Phil is living his best life as a superstar just on Groundhog Day, think again.
There are plenty of other highlights for this beloved forecaster.
“Phil loves to travel, we have a cylinder that we put him in and we go in parades,” Punxsutawney Groundhog Club President Thomas Dunkel said. “We do about 6 parades a year and Phil is always the star of the show.”
Punxsutawney Phil and His Handler A.J. Dereume.
Phil also gets swarmed with fan mail and he tries his best to get to all of them.
“We get bags and bags of fan mail about Phil and people wanting to meet Phil,” Dunkel said. “So many requests for Phil to come to visit and to come to different events. We just can’t take Phil out all the time so we have to decline a lot of them.”
When he’s not on the road, Phil lives a luxurious life at the local library. He doesn’t have to worry about predators and he’s fed a good diet, which is key.
“Depends on the time of the year I suppose. In the summer his number one thing is to eat and secondary is to sleep but in the winter time it’s flip-flopped,” His Handler A.J. Dereume said.
Dereume also explained Phil’s home is a natural zoo habitat that was part of the building’s original construction.
“It’s got a large picture window on two sides and you got borrows and all the natural setting inside with water, food, climate control and light control that he and Phyliss need to live in there together,” Dereume said.
The rest of the year Punxsutawney Phil relaxes, attends school events and of course, prepares for Groundhog Day.