❗ NJ town cancels Groundhog Day - Again
❗ Quirky law bans import of groundhogs
❗ NJ will not be without predictions

A quirky law is forcing the cancellation of Groundhog Day celebrations in Milltown again this year.

Milltown Mel had been joining his fellow rodent weather prognosticators for years in offering up his forecast for either an extended winter or early Spring.

Thousands turned out over the years to join the celebration and hear what Mel had to say about the prospects for warmer weather.

Sadly, Mel died in 2021, just days before he was to offer up his latest forecast.

Town officials found a new weather rodent in Tennessee and arranged to bring him to Milltown to be the new Mel, but then the state stepped in.

A state law bans the import of animals into New Jersey that could potentially carry rabies. The new groundhog was seized by state wildlife officials and the town was again left groundhogless.

Efforts to change the law

In 2009, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection instituted a ban on "on the importation of raccoons, skunks, fox, woodchucks and bats" due to what they termed a "growing concern over human and animal exposure to the deadly viral disease rabies."

The DEP cited a case where New Jersey wildlife was expose to a raccoon variant of rabies "when an animal was imported to the area from the southeast region."

Exemptions were made for zoological facilities, but only if they are regulated by the American Zoological Association.

READ MORE: Milltown Mel dies before his big day

As a result of the law, Milltown officials posted on Facebook the current law "does not allow us to legally obtain a groundhog."

"Until that change occurs," the statement reads, "We cannot continue our annual celebration."

New Jersey State Assemblyman Sterley Stanley, D-East Brunswick, has been leading the change to change the law to allow Milltown to obtain a replacement for Mel, but so far efforts to do so have been unsuccessful.

Milltown officials said, "Hopefully the necessary legislation will be done in time for us to resume Groundhog Day next year."

NJ still has other forecasters

If you just have to have your Groundhog day fix and don't feel like heading to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, to see the famous Phil, you can head to the Turtle Back Zoo in Essex County.

The public is invited on Sunday to witness the forecasting of Lady Edwina of Essex.

Lady Edwina took over from Essex Ed in 2021. Her wranglers boast that she not only considers her shadow, but also consults with "models and maps" to make her predictions.

Festivities begin Sunday, Feb. 2, at 10 a.m.

Sussex County also has its own groundhog. Stonewall Jackson (VI) live on Space Farms in Wantage.

Jackson pretty much keeps to himself and his handlers say he is still in training.

According to Groundhog-Day.com, Jackson comes from "a proud prognosticating dynasty so he should have a leg up on other would-be weather-guessers."

He has predicted an early spring each year since 2020.

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