Staff report
Buddy, the laid-back groundhog at Dan Nicholas Park, is finally out and about.
Last year, he missed Groundhog Day by nearly a month.
This time, he was only four days late.
Buddy dug himself out of his burrow Friday afternoon as temperatures warmed into the high 60s.
A slimmed down Buddy is busily adding pounds after his long winter rest.
He’s eating carrots, celery, bananas, apples ó anything fruity, according to Bob Pendergrass, supervisor of the Nature Center.
And he’s getting his favorite treats ó birdie biscuits ó a banana flavored biscuit made for big parrots.
Pendergrass believes that Buddy is out of his burrow for the season.
Living in the habitat by himself, Buddy may even have aspirations of finding a groundhog girlfriend.
So far, there have been no signs of uninvited groundhogs in the park, but “you never know what’s going on at night,” said Pendergrass.
Buddy and dozens of other animals live at the Nature and Learning Center at Dan Nicholas Park on Bringle Ferry Road.
The park is open daily.