Undoubtedly Pennsylvania's Phil is the star every year the U.S. celebrates Groundhog Day, but he is not aware that he now has a co-star weather forecaster in Russia.

The Limpopo zoo in Nizhny Novgorod, a Russian city on the Volga River, decided to support the American tradition and see if spring will be early in Russia with the help of Olesya the groundhog.

"Even famous Phil is only 38% accurate in his weather predictions. But we will be glad if Olesya predicts an early spring," a staff-member of the Russian zoo said.

The American tradition states that if on February 2 Phil the Groundhog leaves the burrow where it has been hibernating and sees its shadow, which happens if the sun is shining, the spring is still a long way away, namely six weeks.

NIZHNY NOVGOROD, February 2 (RIA Novosti)