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Wiarton Willie the groundhog has died. - Printable Version

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Wiarton Willie the groundhog has died. - Catherine - 11-24-2021

It seems 2021 is not done messing with us. We have lost Wiarton Willie the albino groundhog. He actually died before groundhog day last year, but it was covid time and we couldn't hold the public prediction anyhow. Next year was to be his return to public life. Willie was from a long line of albino groundhogs. Sadly his understudy is an ordinary brown groundhog. They have been unable to find another albino. The show must go on, but it won't be the same without Willie.

https://london.ctvnews.ca/wiarton-willie-gifted-ontario-groundhog-has-died-1.5677803


https://www.blogto.com/city/2021/11/ontario-mourning-death-famed-groundhog-wiarton-willie/

Of course we will grow to love the new Willie. We will get just as excited about the chance of an early spring...or 6 more weeks of winter.
Either way people will laugh and have fun and enjoy a mid winter outing. We loved our funny white groundhogs and we will miss them.
Thank-you Willie for many early springs or at least the hope of early spring. Sometimes the hope is enough to get us through a bad winter.


RE: Wiarton Willie the groundhog has died. - LPC - 11-24-2021

RIP, Willie! A pity that they can't find another albino. Has that line become extinct? Why is that there are no more of them?


RE: Wiarton Willie the groundhog has died. - Catherine - 11-25-2021

The albino groundhogs have always been rare. There probably are more of them, but they live in a remote area that covers hundreds of square miles of rugged terrain. 

https://visitwiarton.ca/things-to-do/

We have many groundhogs in Ontario, but the albino ones were all in the Bruce Peninsula area. I am surprised they found as many as they have.

It is like the white squirrels in Toronto, they are only seen in one park. They have been seen for years and many people have seen them. 
One of the things I did on my birthday this year was search for the white squirrel. I found a regular squirrel with white in its regular colouring. I am on the right track. There are even statues of the white squirrel. I will find one. They will find a white groundhog. At least I only have one park to search.

Why are we so fascinated by albino animals?