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Jimmy the Groundhog turns on Wisconsin mayor

In this photo provided by Christopher Mertes, Sun Prairie Mayor Jon Freund, left, leans in for Jimmy's prognostication just before being bitten on ear by the groundhog during the Groundhogs Day celebration Monday, Feb. 2, 2015 in Sun Prairie, Wis. Freund flinched, and learned you don't want to get to close to a groundhog, but went on with his translation of Jimmy's prediction that there would be an early spring. (AP Photo/The Star, Christopher Mertes) MANDATORY CREDIT In this photo provided by Christopher Mertes, Sun Prairie Mayor Jon Freund, left, leans in for Jimmy's prognostication just before being bitten on ear by the groundhog during the Groundhogs Day celebration Monday, Feb. 2, 2015 in Sun Prairie, Wis. Freund flinched, and learned you don't want to get to close to a groundhog, but went on with his translation of Jimmy's prediction that there would be an early spring. (AP Photo/The Star, Christopher Mertes) MANDATORY CREDIT

By Associated Press February 2, 2015 1 min read

SUN PRAIRIE, Wis. (AP) – A mayor in Wisconsin has learned a valuable lesson about his city’s weather-predicting critter: Don’t get too close.

Jimmy, the official groundhog in Sun Prairie, bit the mayor’s ear during a Groundhog Day celebration on Monday.

The groundhog’s handler was holding the animal next to Mayor Jonathan Freund’s face when it promptly bit down on his ear.

Freund flinched, but he went on with his declaration that Jimmy had predicted an early spring.

WISC-TV reports (http://bit.ly/16792SP ) that the Groundhog Day celebration became even more precarious when Jimmy’s handlers, Jerry and Maria Hahn, said the mayor had gotten it wrong and that there would be six more weeks of winter.

Then the city later issued a statement saying only the mayor can translate Jimmy’s prediction.

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Information from: WISC-TV, http://www.channel3000.com