As the years go on many people are losing faith in poor Punxsutawney Phil. After all, the groundhog doesn't have the most perfect track record when it comes to predicting the length of winter. Also, is it just me or does he always see his shadow? I am just saying. Anyway, this year people wanted another expert on the scene, a second opinion if you will. So they reached out to a giant alligator to determine if the groundhog was correct. If you are wondering how an alligator determines spring or winter, trust me it was epic.
How An Alligator Determines Spring Or Winter
Unlike the groundhog, 'Big Al' could care less about his shadow. This 93-year-old, 14-foot gator had a different way to predict the weather. Instead, it is all about diet with this massive reptile. 'Big Al' was presented with a delicious elk steak. Purely for scientific purposes of course. The way the science works here is, if he eats the steak we get an early spring. If he doesn't, then we are doomed to six more weeks of winter.
If you are anything like me, you fully expected (and hoped) 'Big Al' to eat the steak. After all, alligators like meat and there is a juicy hunk just waiting for the consumption. However, much to my dismay, 'Big Al' apparently agrees with Punxsutawney Phil. He refused to eat the steak, meaning we are in for another six weeks of winter weather.
Not His First Rodeo
This was not the first time 'Big Al' predicted the weather. According to KHOU 11 he has been "predicting the weather this way for nearly two decades." Basically, he is a professional in all things weather forecasting. Although he hadn't eaten in a very long time to prepare for this monuments occassion, the elk steak still did not appear to wet his appetite.
However, don't worry. The juicy steak did not go to waste. Gator Country told KHOU 11 that they fed the undesired steak to some of their albino gators, who happily obliged them.
