Letting a rodent whisper into your ear can be dangerous.
The mayor of Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, learned this lesson the hard way during Monday's Groundhog Day celebrations.
According to the Associated Press, Mayor Jonathan Freund let a handler hold a groundhog named Jimmy next to his face. Jimmy proceeded to bite down on Freund's ear:
Freund isn't the only mayor who has been involved in a groundhog-related mishap.
In New York City, Staten Island Chuck died last year after she was dropped by Mayor Bill de Blasio during the annual ceremony. And de Blasio's predecessor, Michael Bloomberg, cursed out a groundhog who once bit his finger.
Business Insider reached out to Freund about the experience and whether he plans to change next year's Groundhog Day celebrations. We'll update if we find out more.