Affectionately known as the "famous Prognosticating Groundhog", Shubenacadie (pronounced "Shoo-ben-ack-a-dee") Sam is a famous Canadian groundhog who lives at the Shubenacadie Wildlife Park, which is a wonderful wilflide park, approximately one-hour drive from New Glasgow.
Every February 2nd on Groundhog Day, observers watch at 8:00am AST to see if Sam will see a shadow, predicting if we will enjoy an early spring, or be in for a longer winter. According to tradition, the groundhog will poke his head out of his winter burrow to forecast spring. Should the groundhog see his shadow, winter will hang on for another six weeks, but should the groundhog not see his shadow, an early spring is on the way.
Due to our timezone, Sam makes the first Groundhog Day prediction in North America, and boasts an accuracy rate of about 45%. Four ground hogs have served as "Shubenacadie Sam" since the practice began in Nova Scotia in 1987, as groundhogs usually live 10 years in captivity.
A little bit more about Shubenacadie Sam
Groundhogs are rodents, members of the Marmota monax species, one of the very few mammals that truly hibernate during the winter months.
As a Prognosticating Groundhog, Shubenacadie Sam is an exception and while his cousins are asleep, snug in their winter burrow, Sam is busy training for the big day. He is provided with a special groundhog diet that meets all his vegetarian needs plus he has specialized training sessions in yoga and meditation.
Sam gets social
In these modern times, it is especially important that Sam maintain contact with his broad fan base, so he spends time on Facebook and communicates via Twitter (@ShubenacadieSam). He is especially fond of social media and has enjoyed his time as the focus of a live webcam broadcast, the SamCam (Source: Shubenacadie Wildlife Park)
To read more about how you can join for the celebrations, or to follow along for updates, please click Shubenacadie Sam Ready for Groundhog Day Prediction
TIP: The best time to check-in on Sam on the webcam is around 9:30 when it's time for breakfast