Ten years ago today, former Democratic New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio dropped a groundhog at the annual Groundhog Day celebration in Staten Island, leading to the animal’s death.
The late groundhog, Charlotte, stood in for the traditional Staten Island Chuck during the Feb. 2, 2014, Groundhog Day celebration. After Charlotte predicted six more weeks of winter, the animal slipped out of de Blasio’s hands and died from “acute internal injuries” six days later.
The former mayor spoke about the incident with Semafor on the 10th anniversary, saying any event including an “agitated animal” will end badly. (RELATED: Humorless Liberal Scolds Take Potshots At Punxsutawney Phil)
“Any event at 7 in the morning featuring a live animal doesn’t end well,” de Blasio reportedly told Semafor political reporter Kadia Goba.
It’s Groundhog Day, so of course I texted with former NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio about that day he dropped Staten Island Chuck (RIP) pic.twitter.com/mrinoELxVt
— Kadia Goba (@kadiagoba) February 2, 2024
Immediately following the tragic incident, de Blasio blamed his poor “motor skills” for the groundhog slipping out of his hands.
“I put on these gloves, and they’re like, ‘Here’s a groundhog,’ I’m like, ‘What the fuck?'” he said, according to New York Magazine.
He further questioned why an elected official should be holding a live animal and said he knows nothing about holding groundhogs, according to New York Magazine.
Staten Island Chuck, based on the original Punxsutawney Phil in Pennsylvania, predicted an early spring during the 2024 celebration Friday. Neither Chuck nor Punxsutawney Phil saw their shadows, marking a historic early spring prediction that has only occurred 21 times since the celebration began in 1887, according to the National Centers for Environmental Information.