Groundhog Day is rapidly approaching, and today's Times detailed the training regimen Chuck, the Staten Island Zoo's groundhog, is undergoing to prepare for his weather-predicting premiere in three weeks. A photo from the zoo's website — highlighted this afternoon by Gothamist — shows that Chuck sees the date looming, too.

Grooming a Weatherman for His TV Debut, and Hoping He Doesn’t Bite the Host [NYT]