FRED IS DEAD

https://decider.com/2023/02/02/fred-la-marmotte-groundhog-day-tragedy/

Groundhog Day Tragedy! Fred la Marmotte, Canada’s Punxsatawney Phil, Drops Dead On His Big Day

Fred La Marmotte has been predicting whether or not Canadians would endure six more weeks of l’hiver for years, but during today’s Groundhog Day celebration in Val-d’Espoir, Quebec, the event organizer, Roberto Blondin, made a stunning announcement, telling onlookers that Fred was dead. “In life, the only thing that’s certain is that nothing is certain,” Blondin told the crowd. “Well, this year it’s true. It’s true and it’s unfortunate. I announce to you the death of Fred.” La mort de Fred. Those attending the festivities reacted as you’d imagine any crowd would, as they were expecting to hear a weather forecast but instead received news of the death of a meteorological titan.

Fred was a peer to American groundhogs Punxsatawney Phil, Staten Island Chuck, and other weather-clairvoyant rodents of their ilk, and he was beloved in his home country. It was reported that when Blondin and other event organizers went in to check on Fred on February 1 the rodent, who had been hibernating, was already dead and might have died as long ago as late fall.

With the celebration and festivities already in motion, Blondin allowed a child in the crowd to make the weather prediction instead. The child predicted six more weeks of winter.

No foul play has been suggested in Fred’s death but Blondin revealed that a new groundhog, Fred Junior, will conveniently replace Fred next year. Fred Junior, I see you.