PORTLAND, Ore. -- The Oregon Zoo’s African pygmy hedgehog is predicting an early spring. That is, if you believe in the tradition of checking for a shadow every year, on Groundhog Day.
It’s not always the case, but this year, Velda the hedgehog’s prediction matched that of her more famous furry competitor, Punxsutawney Phil.
Velda did not see her shadow Tuesday morning, meaning an early spring is expected in the Northwest.
“Hedgehogs are the real weather experts of the animal world,” said zoo curator Michael Illig. “Punxsutawney Phil and his ilk are relative newcomers to the game. When European immigrants to the United States realized their new home didn’t have hedgehogs, they turned to the groundhog out of necessity. But Velda is bringing the holiday back to its origins.”
Considering the track record of the zoo’s hedgehog prognosticators though, cuteness might need to count for something.
“The zoo’s hedgehogs have fared slightly better than Punxsutawney Phil, which admittedly is not that great,” Illig said. “Last year though, our hedgehog Whiskers J. did predict an early spring, which was definitely accurate for this region. We had the warmest winter on record.”
According to records from StormFax Weather Almanac, Phil’s predictions have been correct about 39 percent of the time. Oregon Zoo’s hedgehogs have a 45 percent accuracy rate.
Velda, is one of five hedgehogs born at the Oregon Zoo in 2014. This was her forecasting debut.
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