Will we have six more weeks of winter, or an early spring? We’ll have to consult Buckeye Chuck to know for sure.
And that Buckeye Chuck now lives at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, according to a CMNH news release. A museum groundhog (who is actually named Murray) earned the prestigious title of “Buckeye Chuck,” meaning that he’ll become the state’s not-so-certified meteorologist, looking for his shadow on Groundhog Day (Feb. 2) in a few short weeks.
Buckeye Chuck is basically Ohio’s own Punxsutawney Phil knockoff, started in Marion, Ohio, in the 1970s.
Murray’s just the latest animal to hold the title of Buckeye Chuck. CMNH has had Murray since June, after he was injured on an Ohio road, according to the news release. He couldn’t be released back into the wild and now lives in the museum’s Ralph Perkins II Wildlife Center & Woods Garden.
“Not only does Murray have a safe and nurturing new home, but our guests also have a chance to learn from him, so it’s a perfect pairing,” says CMNH Director of Wildlife Jim Nemet in a news release.
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In his new home, Murray will be able to “train” for an iHeartMedia Groundhog Day official prediction — on a voluntary basis, according to a news release. (A den and platform have been introduced to his habitat for enrichment.)
“Murray will choose to participate on his terms, just like he does for educational programming at the Museum,” Nemet clarified in the news release.
If he sees his shadow on Feb. 2, Murray predicts six more weeks of winter — and he predicts early spring if he doesn’t see his shadow.
It’s a tradition that’s taken place for roughly 50 years now, started by Marion WMRN radio host Charlie Evers. In 1979, Buckeye Chuck earned official status, when he was named Ohio’s weather-predicting groundhog by the Ohio General Assembly. (Read Ohio Magazine’s feature about the weather-telling woodchuck here.)
Evers died in 2020. In recent years the Buckeye Chuck tradition has shifted from some of its hands-on history following the coronavirus pandemic and a complaint from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). The complaint called for hosts to cease exhibiting a groundhog in stressful environments, where attendees reportedly pet and handled the animal, according to a Spectrum article from 2022. Last year, Marion did not use a live groundhog onsite at its Buckeye Chuck event.
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CMNH handlers will take Murray to Marion for the town's annual WMRN Buckeye Chuck Day prediction and celebration, which takes place 7-8 a.m. at the radio station's studios at 1330 N. Main Street. Murray won't be handled at the event and will have the option to willingly walk on a platform for the prediction, marking a departure from past hands-on Buckeye Chuck events.
The prediction will also air live on the radio station and Buckeye Chuck's Facebook page. Find more information about the event here.
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