Clarification: Okanagan Okie is a stuffed animal, and not a live marmot. We apologize to our readers if the description in this story made it seem otherwise.
Move over Wiarton Willie and Punxsutawney Phil, there’s a new groundhog in town.
Well, OK, maybe town is stretching it a bit, seeing as Willie lives in Ontario and Phil calls Pennsylvania home.
And for that matter, “groundhog” might be a stretch as well. But come Feb. 2, B.C.-based Okanagan Okie — a marmot — will make his weather-forecasting debut.
This week, the Allan Brooks Nature Centre announced that it was bringing the classic Groundhog Day celebration to B.C. and the Okanagan.
“While Groundhog Day is not new and will forever more be immortalized in a movie by the same name, there is no record of Groundhog Day celebrations taking place in the province of B.C.,” the Vernon-based centre said in a press release.
“It’s time for new traditions and celebrations now more than ever before,” said Allan Brooks Nature centre manager Cheryl Hood, “and ABNC is eager to showcase one of our local furry friends, Okanagan Okie, the yellow-bellied marmot.”
Can a marmot predict if B.C. will see an early spring or six more weeks of winter?
Who knows? But then again, whoever thought that a groundhog could?
According to National Geographic, groundhogs (Marmota monax) are a type of rodent known as a marmot, and marmots are closely related to squirrels.
“They are giant ground squirrels is what they are,” says Richard Thorington, curator of mammals at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C.
The Allan Brooks Nature Centre also noted that groundhogs are a type of marmot — and that both are unlikely to be seen in February.
“It’s also true is that marmots and groundhogs hibernate in the winter, so they won’t actually be seen until March or April,” the centre said. “But our friend, Okanagan Okie, is special and he knows he has a job to do, so he’ll be ready and waiting to provide you with the famous proclamation.”
According to the centre, if Okanagan Okie emerges from his burrow and sees his shadow, he’ll retreat to his den and winter will continue for another six weeks. If he does not see his shadow, spring will arrive early.
Okie is expected to foretell the weather at 10 a.m. PT.
If you do decide to throw caution to the wind and visit Okanagan Okie on Feb. 2, take to heart these famous quotes from the famous 1993 film Groundhog Day: “Don’t drive angry,” and, “OK, campers, rise, and shine, and don’t forget your booties ‘cause it’s cold out there.… It’s cold out there every day.”