Current:Home > ScamsPunxsutawney Phil is a dad! See the 2 groundhog pups welcomed by Phil and his wife, Phyllis -Wealth Axis Pro
Punxsutawney Phil is a dad! See the 2 groundhog pups welcomed by Phil and his wife, Phyllis
View
Date:2025-04-13 19:43:38
Punxsutawney Phil's life just got a whole lot busier. In addition to predicting the weather, the Pennsylvania-based groundhog now has a new title: father.
Phil and his wife, Phyllis, welcomed two new babies, the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club announced on social media Wednesday.
"We have Babies!! The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club is very excited to announce that Phil and Phyllis have given birth to two healthy baby Groundhogs! The babies are currently in with mom and dad at the zoo that is located at the Punxsutawney Memorial Library, and can be viewed thru the viewing window," the club posted on Instagram Wednesday.
"When we went in to feed them their fresh fruits and vegetables, we found Phyllis with two little baby groundhogs. It was very unexpected, we had no idea that she was pregnant," Tom Dunkel, the president of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club's Inner Circle, told CBS Pittsburgh.
The club also posted a video of the baby groundhogs on Instagram Wednesday, which you can watch below.
Did Phil see his shadow this year?
Phil did not see his shadow on Feb. 2 at Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, part of the annual Groundhog Day tradition celebrated in the U.S. and Canada. That means, according to the legend, Phil was predicting an early spring.
It was the first time since 2020 that Phil predicted an early spring, and the 21st time since records were kept.
If you look at the data, Punxsutawney Phil has a record of seeing his shadow more often than not. Prior to 2024, the groundhog had seen his shadow 107 times and not seen his shadow 20 times, according to the York Daily Record, part of the USA TODAY Network. There were a few years in the late 1800s where there was no record of his forecast, and 1943 was the only year he did not make an appearance.
How accurate is Punxsutawney Phil?:A question for America's favorite forecaster, Punxsutawney Phil
Punxsutawney Phil goes viral on TikTok
Phil captured the hearts and imagination of TikTok creatives in early February when user @olivesongs11 composed a song based on the lore that Punxsutawney Phil has been alive since 1886, and his longevity comes from an "elixir of life" that he takes a sip of every summer.
According to the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, Phyllis is unfortunately not offered the same elixir and is not given her own immortality.
@olivesongs11, also known as the singer/songwriter Oliver Richman, composed a song based on this unbelievable idea.
"Nothing's supposed to live forever, Phyliss," a section of Richman's song, written from Phil's point of view goes in a ballad-like style. "Nothing's supposed to last that long. The burrows we made will eventually fade and I'll be left to sing the same old song."
The video went viral, with over 4.8 million views and 500,000 likes.
Other TikTok users jumped on the idea, posting duets on the app singing to Richman's song as their own version of Phyliss or even as the Punxsutawney Mayor.
Contributing: Emily DeLetter, USA TODAY
Gabe Hauari is a national trending news reporter at USA TODAY. You can follow him on X @GabeHauari or email him at Gdhauari@gannett.com.
veryGood! (1)
Related
- Buckingham Palace staff under investigation for 'bar brawl'
- Alexey Navalny, Russia's jailed opposition leader, has gone missing, according to his supporters
- CPR can be lifesaving for some, futile for others. Here's what makes the difference
- Swedish authorities say 5 people died when a construction elevator crashed to the ground
- Selena Gomez's "Weird Uncles" Steve Martin and Martin Short React to Her Engagement
- Inflation continues to moderate thanks to a big drop in gas prices
- How Titans beat the odds to play spoiler against Dolphins on Monday Night
- As more Rohingya arrive by boat, Indonesia asks the international community to share its burden
- Most popular books of the week: See what topped USA TODAY's bestselling books list
- MI6 chief thanks Russian state television for its ‘help’ in encouraging Russians to spy for the UK
Ranking
- Retirement planning: 3 crucial moves everyone should make before 2025
- After Texas Supreme Court blocks her abortion, Kate Cox leaves state for procedure
- Bridgerton Season 3 Premiere Dates Finally Revealed
- Australians prepare for their first cyclone of the season
- At site of suspected mass killings, Syrians recall horrors, hope for answers
- DeSantis attorneys ask federal judge to dismiss Disney’s free speech lawsuit
- Shohei Ohtani’s massive $700 million deal with Dodgers defers $680 million for 10 years
- Milestone in recovery from historic Maui wildfire
Recommendation
Justice Department, Louisville reach deal after probe prompted by Breonna Taylor killing
MI6 chief thanks Russian state television for its ‘help’ in encouraging Russians to spy for the UK
FedEx issues safety warning to delivery drivers after rash of truck robberies, carjackings
Titans vs. Dolphins Monday Night Football highlights: Tennessee rallies for shocking upset
In ‘Nickel Boys,’ striving for a new way to see
Online sports betting to start in Vermont in January
Swedish authorities say 5 people died when a construction elevator crashed to the ground
The 'ultimate killing machine': Skull of massive prehistoric sea predator discovered in UK