The Tennessee Aquarium introduced their newest ambassador and weather predictor “Chattanooga Chuck II,” whose real name is Waddles the groundhog.
Aquarium Senior Animal Specialist Tyler Schneider said Waddles is only seven months old. Poor Waddles was a mere three months old when he was found. He had been hit by a car which injured his left foot.
Schneider said the injured groundhog arrived at the Lookout Mountain-based private veterinary clinic of Aquarium Director of Animal Health Dr. Chris Keller. There, he received treatment for a broken leg.
“From there, we worked with Fish and Wildlife and the Department of Natural Resources, and he was deemed non-releasable,” Schneider said. “There are concerns that with that injury, he wouldn't be able to burrow, make a den, and kind of keep himself safe the way they would in the wild. So, he came to us shortly after that, and he's been with us for about three months now.”
The first Chattanooga Chuck arrived at the aquarium in 2009 and made his first weather prediction in 2010. Sadly, he passed away in 2019, and the aquarium was left without a groundhog until now.
“Groundhogs do their best in giving us a heads up on the weather for the spring, winter transition,” Schneider said.” Chattanooga Chuck, I did that and he was a great ambassador for his species for about 10 years. And then since then, we have not had Chattanooga Chuck here. We've just been kind of waiting for one to need our help. So, when Waddles was injured and needed a home and some extra special care, we were happy to take that on. And we're hoping that he grows into Chattanooga Chuck the 2nd. And starting this February, he can hopefully give us an indication of the weather to come.”
The animal care team at the aquarium has been working on building up Waddles’ health and getting him used to being around people as he prepares for his new role in the Aquarium’s spotlight. Schneider said he did well at a recent community event and thinks he will be prepared for his weather prediction debut on Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2027, known worldwide as Groundhog Day.
Schneider said that according to the folklore If the groundhog sees its shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter. If it does not see its shadow, early spring is expected.
Waddles is fed a steady diet of root vegetables, greens and fruit. Schneider said groundhogs, in the wild can live between 3-6 years. But Waddles is expected to live twice that because of his captivity and constant care. The crew plan to maintain his weight to avoid reinjuring or having arthritis starting early in his injured leg. In the wild groundhogs fall prey to certain raptors, dogs and primarily cars.
“We're expecting a pretty full life out of him,” Schneider said. “With his injury, that could have also made his life in the wild a little more complicated and shorten that lifespan. So, on top of the already longer lifespan in professional care, we're able to give him more specialized care and preventative healthcare to address that and hopefully make him live a long and healthy life.”
Waddles felt at home despite being surrounded by cameras from the media crews invited to meet the little ambassador. Media personnel took turns holding out slices of carrots, kale or sweet potato. At first, Waddles grabbed the food and ran back inside his enclosure. After a while he stayed out longer, got up on his hind legs and appeared to be hamming it up for the cameras.
In addition to predicting the weather, Waddles has joined the ranks of its ambassador animal program. Alongside Aquarium educators, he will take part in programs to teach guests about this ubiquitous, but often unnoticed, native mammal.
“With our current ambassadors, we do a lot of on-site and also outreach with schools and the community,” Schneider said. “We're hoping to integrate him into that. The main thing with him, it gives the public a good chance to get up close and personal and form a connection with a native species. I think they do kind of get put to the wayside in a lot of people's minds because they're cute, but they can also be skittish. They don't have an outgoing personality like some of our other native wildlife. Giving people that chance to get up close and personal with an otherwise kind of shy territorial animal and learn more about what they do for our habitat and what their role is in our native area.”
In the wild groundhogs help the ecosystem by aerating the soil, creating secondary habitats for other wildlife, and acting as part of the local food web.
Schneider said groundhogs are one of only a few native mammal species that enter true hibernation, during which their body temperature drops, and their heart rate and breathing slows dramatically for most of winter.
All I can say is Waddles is adorable.
Save the date and meet Chattanooga Chuck II (aka Waddles) as he makes his weather prediction debut on Groundhog Day 2027.