According to RT’s interlocutor, the marmots Sergei and Natasha appeared in the Tula exotarium 5 years ago.
“They were 2 years old at the time. That is, now both Natasha and Seryozha are 7 years old. Then for the first time we decided to try to organize Groundhog Day, but a little in our own way. We have modified the rules in this case, that is, the groundhog does not see its shadow,” said Kurlykova.
She added that captive marmots do not experience extreme temperature changes that would allow them to hibernate.
“But here they still feel the winter, they are a little comatose, half asleep, they can sleep for 3-4 days and not get out of their shelters. And thus, every February 2, now annually, we offer our main fortuneteller Sergei, because he is more sociable than Natalya and is not afraid to come out of his hiding place, various dishes. Naturally, those that are suitable for marmots: vegetables, fruits, nuts. We open his enclosure, put his bowl filled with all sorts of goodies, and look at his reaction,” the specialist noted.
According to her, Sergei the groundhog can even predict upcoming “temperature swings.”
“If Sergei goes out, comes in, and does not dare to approach, then the conclusion is drawn that winter will continue for a long time. If it comes out and comes in and tries to go back into the hole, then there will be such temperature swings. But this year he simply amazed us. He was as cheerful and cheerful as possible, joyfully rushed to the bowl and ate almost everything. We've never had anything like this before. And I want to add that in five years he has never made a mistake,” concluded Kurlykova.
Earlier, the President of the Russian Canine Federation Vladimir Golubev called signs and signals the most understandable language for dogs