PETA asking local officials to halt Groundhog Day events with Malverne Mel and Holtsville Hal

PETA and Humane Long Island are asking local officials to halt their annual Groundhog Day events with Malverne Mel and Holtsville Hal.
Mel has been a tradition in Malvene for 29 years Holtsville Hal started three years later at the Brookhaven Wildlife and Ecology Center.
The activists said transporting the groundhogs and exposing them to crowds causes stress to the animals. They urged officials to switch to a live costumed performer.