Punxsutawney Phil escapes from his den

PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. (AP) — The world’s most famous groundhog keeps trying to escape from his home in western Pennsylvania, but he hasn’t gotten very far.

The animal who emerges to check for his shadow each year of Feb. 2 — Groundhog Day — is kept most of the year at the Punxsutawney Library, where he stays in a man-made den.

But library workers say the groundhog has gotten out of the structure three times in the past two weeks.

Somehow, the groundhog climbs into the library’s ceiling and travels about 50 feet before dropping into some library offices. So far, Phil hasn’t been hurt and has been returned to his den each time.

Still, workers are hoping to put a stop to the escapes before Phil isn’t so fortunate.

Punxsutawney is about 65 miles northeast of Pittsburgh.