PETA wants Punxsutawney Phil to be replaced by a hologram

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If it ain’t burrowed, don’t fix it.

PETA is calling for Punxsutawney Phil, the world’s most famous groundhog, to be swapped out for a massive “state-of-the-art” hologram.

The animal rights organization sent a letter to the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club’s president, Tom Dunkel, requesting that the fluffy weather predictor be replaced with a dazzling 3-D projection complete with “vocal weather predictions,” to let Phil and his family retire from the annual Feb. 2 ceremony to a “reputable sanctuary.”

Illustration of a groundhog hologram forecasting either "6 MORE WEEKS OF WINTER" or "EARLY SPRING" to an audience.PETA sent a letter to the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club’s president, Tom Dunkel, requesting that the fluffy weather predictor be replaced with a dazzling 3-D projection. PETA

“Pixelated popstars are headlining concerts and long departed celebrities are attending conventions, so why not put that technology to good use: on a hologram that lets the real Phil hibernate in peace,” PETA Founder Ingrid Newkirk said in a news release.

“PETA is urging the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club to chuck its tired tradition of harassing a shy animal and give Gobbler’s Knob a glow-up with a phantom prognosticator,” Newkirk added.

The staunch animal rights organization writes a letter every year calling for the beloved rodent to be replaced with any myriad of inanimate objects, including a vegan “weather reveal cake”  and a giant gold coin.

A handler in a top hat holds Punxsutawney Phil above a large crowd of spectators.The animal rights organization wants Punxsutawney Phil and his family to retire to a “reputable sanctuary.” Getty Images

“PETA notes that, when given the chance, naturally shy groundhogs avoid humans and enjoy burrowing, exploring, and hibernating — all of which are impossible in the small enclosure Phil is kept in year-round,” the group said in a statement.

The hologram would flash an apparition of a blue Phil with the words “six more weeks of winter,” along with some floating snowflakes, or show him illuminated in pink, with a display of flowers for an “early spring.”

The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment on PETA’s pitch.

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