The Shell Factory and Nature Park owner Tom Cronin showed Mona his best side Thursday morning and the groundhog didn’t even whistle.

Cronin, attired in top hat, tuxedo and shorts, lost his pants at 7:24 a.m. while emceeing the first Lee County Groundhog Day. The crowd roared and one spectator sized up the situation.

“You can’t see a groundhog’s shadow with the moon out,'’ hollered Brett Vogelbach of North Fort Myers. If Pennsylvanian groundhog Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow Feb. 2, it means six more weeks of winter. No doubt feeling a chill, Cronin resurrected his shorts, but Mona, a chubby 9-month-old gray groundhog sitting behind him, clearly wasn’t enamored by the glimpse.

“Groundhogs call their mates with a low whistle,'’ says Danika Fornear, Nature Park director.
Better luck next year, Tom. He took the snub in stride. Read the rest of this entry »

Exhibit will go on after prairie dog mix-up. By Terry Brady, News Press.tbrady@news-press.com

It’s here, and the celebration is on.

With a little more than 12 hours to spare before its inaugural Groundhog Day event, the Shell Factory and Nature Park welcomed the guest of honor — Mona the groundhog.

“She’s here. I kept my promise,” said Shell Factory volunteer Richard Dunmire, who donated more than $5,000 for a groundhog exhibit at the park. Around 5 p.m. Wednesday, the park heralded the arrival of the groundhog that could predict whether Lee County has another six weeks of winter.

The Shell Factory had been waiting for the animal for the past two weeks. “What a big relief,” said Dunmire who is from Punxsutawney, Pa., home of the original Groundhog Day celebration and Punxsutawney Phil.

Mona was delivered to North Fort Myers by Wildlife Wonders, an Atlanta-area zoo and rescue organization. The 9-month-old, 8-pound groundhog was named Mona after her scientific name Marmota monax, Wildlife Wonders employee Tom Bennett said. Read the rest of this entry »