CT State Groundhog Chuckles Endorses More Mild Weather

MANCHESTER, CT — A short time after making his annual February prediction, Chuckles XI, the official Connecticut state groundhog, settled back into his den at the Lutz Children's Museum in Manchester. His disposition pretty much summed upon the winter of 2022-23 — mellow.

Chuckles hosted a plethora of guests at the Lutz on Thursday for Groundhog Day that included town officials and children of all ages. He did not see his shadow and thus predicted an early spring.

Lutz Executive Director Patricia Buxton said, alas, we go with the flow and trust in Chuckles.

"We had a nice morning and his prediction is what he sees," she joked. "It always a great day for the children at the Lutz to gather early and see Chuckles."

It was a touch of irony that Chuckles was so relaxed because, in the words of Lutz Animal Handler Ashley Little, he's the most active Chuckles of all time.

"He's feisty," Little said. "He's not afraid of humans so he's good with making a prediction."

Little said Chuckles XI is also the healthiest in the famed line of state groundhogs. He was discovered at about 4 weeks old by hikers in a malnourished state in 2021 by hikers on a Connecticut trail with his "sister," Jolene. He was nursed back to health and then failed the "wild test," after rehab, Little said.

He wasn't blind or permanently injured like many of the rescue animals at the Lutz, so he has embraced his role with vigor, she said.