A furry rodent in Ontario has "predicted" an early spring after officials declared he didn't see his shadow.
Wiarton Willie, an albino groundhog, was greeted by cheers from a crowd that gathered in Wiarton, Ont., as he shuffled around a small enclosure on a stage.
Folklore has it that if the groundhog sees its shadow when it emerges from its burrow on Groundhog Day, there will be six more weeks of winter. If the groundhog doesn't see its shadow, then tradition says spring is on the way.
Willie's forecast is in line with a declaration from another furry Canadian prognosticator.
Nova Scotia's Shubenacadie Sam emerged from his small barn this morning and officials declared that he also did not see his shadow, heralding an early spring.
But in Pennsylvania, the handlers of Punxsutawney Phil say their rodent has "predicted" six more weeks of winter after seeing his shadow.