On the heels of PETA's claiming of responsibility for a "prank" attack on a Canadian government official, they have declared that the treatment of groundhog Punxsutawney Phil, the most famous groundhog in the world, is unethical. Not only that, but he should be replaced by a robot.

Gemma Vaughan,  Animals in Entertainment specialist for the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, said in a letter to organizers of the annual spectacle in Punxsutawney, PA, that  groundhogs, which are normally shy and spend much of their time in burrows, "become stressed when they are exposed to large, screaming crowds; flashing lights from perhaps hundreds of cameras; and human handling."

Vaughan suggests using "animatronic animals" instead.

Personally I'm a little scared of robot animals. But maybe I watch too much sci-fi.