The odd turn events started at yesterday's Groundhog Day ceremony when "Chuck," Gothams' official groundhog, was coaxed out to "see" his shadow, and bit the Mayor on the left index finger.
At the time, everyone laughed off the incident.
Shortly after returning to his office in Manhattan, however, the Mayor began to display such characteristic groundhog behaviors as digging out a burrow for hibernation and feeding on insects from the lawn outside City Hall. He also sprouted the dense grey undercoat of fur and longer coat of guard hairs that provide groundhogs' distinctive "frosted" appearance.
City Hall insiders report that Bloomberg now peeks out of his office to check the length and direction of his shadow before either darting back inside or scurrying out for the day's scheduled activities.
It is unclear what effect the Mayor's new talents will have on his running New York, although he did issue a harshly worded denounciation of wolves, foxes, bobcats, bears and large hawks — all known groundhog predators — and banned them from from the city limits.
"We remain hopeful that the Mayor will use his new powers for the forces of good," City Hall spokesman Phil Connors told reporters, adding, "Although it's hard to know how that would work, exactly."