By FERNANDA SANTOS, The New York Times
NEW YORK — There are creatures — hibernating bears come to mind, or emergency-room doctors after an overnight shift — who don't appreciate being roused from their slumber. Perhaps that's what irked Chuck the Groundhog on Monday morning on Staten Island when Mayor Michael Bloomberg tried to lure him out of his wooden shelter. Chuck wasn't up for whatever it was that Bloomberg had planned for him — or for predicting how much longer winter was going to last, for that matter. And he got so annoyed at the mayor that he bit the mayor's left hand, his sharp teeth piercing Bloomberg's black leather gloves.
One can argue that Bloomberg sort of asked for it. As cameras rolled and the crowd took in the event — a local imitation of the Punxsutawney Phil tradition — Chuck at first refused to come out. Children chanted his name to no avail. Bloomberg seemed to realize that the reclusive rodent was spoiling the show. He tried to lure Chuck out of his cottage with an ear of corn, but Chuck shrewdly grabbed the corn and dragged it inside to enjoy. The mayor tried again, twice, but then, seemingly out of patience, he grabbed Chuck by the belly with both hands before he could hide again and held him up in the air for everyone to see.
By then, the mayor had already been bitten. Bloomberg did not seem upset. During an unrelated announcement later in the day — with a bandage on his left index finger — he provided only scant details about the incident involving the 3-year-old, 10-pound groundhog, formally known as Charles G. Hogg. “Given the heightened response against terrorism, and clearly in this case a terrorist rodent who could very well have been trained by al-Qaida in Afghanistan, I'm not at liberty to say any more than that,” the mayor said. It happened about 7:30 a.m. during the annual Groundhog Day ceremony at the Staten Island Zoo, in front of several dignitaries. No other injuries were reported.