Beardsley Bart, Connecticut’s own prognosticating Prairie Dog, dug out from the weekend’s snow at sunrise this morning to share his weather forecast with a small gathering of his friends and predicted there will be an early Spring for Connecticut.

“Beardsley Bart is a very early riser and when he came out this morning, he confirmed that he did not see his shadow,” Bridgeport Beardly Zoo Director Gregg Dancho says. “But every year, Beardsley Bart says that spring is coming eventually, and he has always been 100% correct.”

Dancho says he invites everyone to visit the zoo throughout the cold weather, as that’s when many of the animals are most active.

Animals who enjoy cold temperatures include the Amur leopards, Amur tiger, North American river otters, and Mexican grey and red wolves.