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Staten Island May Keep Mayors Away From Groundhogs After De Blasio Drop
By
Ben Yakas
Published Sep 26, 2014
Modified Sep 26, 2014
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NYC Mayor's Office
By
Ben Yakas
Published Sep 26, 2014
Modified Sep 26, 2014
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Yesterday it was revealed that the Staten Island Zoo groundhog that Mayor Bill de Blasio dropped on Groundhog Day died from "internal injuries" a week later. GroundhogGate, as history will remember it, has become an international scandal, from the well-manicured lawns of Staten Island to page 37 of The Times UK. And now it seems no other mayors may get the chance to grope a groundhog after de Blasio's inadvertent murder spree. Thanks de Blasio!
Staten Island Zoo officials are considering drastically changing the Groundhog Day tradition because of what happened to poor little Staten Island Charlotte (one of four stand-ins for Chuck). "It’s being discussed whether we should do some process with the next Chuck on February 2, whether he should actually be physically transferred from one handler to another," zoo spokesman Brian Morris told the Post. "Maybe he should just be displayed emerging or not emerging from his enclosure."
Local pols certainly agree: "I think the handling of the groundhog may be best left to professionals," City Council Minority Leader Vincent Ignizio told AP. The incident has dropped de Blasio's standing on Staten Island even lower than it was when ForkGate happened.
As for why the zoo didn't announce the groundhog's death, he said, "There are 1,500 animals here. We do not notify the public about every single death that comes up — we just don’t do it." Here's the zoo's full statement about the incident:
As a result of the groundhog unexpectedly climbing out of the Mayor's grasp, the animal was given a complete medical examination by the Staten Island Zoo veterinarian immediately following the incident on February 2, 2014. The examination showed no evidence of trauma or pain, with the animal displaying normal behavior.
During the following week after Groundhog Day the animal participated in several events, showing no clinical abnormalities and a normal appetite during this time. One week after Groundhog Day,on February 9, the animal was found deceased in its exhibit from internal injuries that the animal most likely sustained sometime during the week after Groundhog Day, potentially overnight while in its exhibit.
A necropsy was performed by the Staten Island Zoo veterinarian, which revealed acute internal injuries.
The exact cause of the injuries could not be determined. Given the results of the necropsy, the incident appears to have been sudden. It appears unlikely that the animal's death is related to the events on Groundhog Day.
You can watch the equivalent of the Zapruder tape of the incident below:
Not everyone was so enraged that the zoo kept the death from the public: Staten Island State Assemblyman Matthew Titone told the Times it wasn't de Blasio's fault ("The medical evidence, the science, simply is not there") and that Chuck was an "education ambassador" for the borough. "When you’re talking about a celebrated icon, do you really want to tell children Santa Claus died?"
Tagged
coverup
groundhog
groundhog day
mayor de blasio
staten island charlotte
staten island chuck
staten island zoo
Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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