Current:Home > MarketsPunxsutawney Phil is a dad! See the 2 groundhog pups welcomed by Phil and his wife, Phyllis -WealthTrack
Punxsutawney Phil is a dad! See the 2 groundhog pups welcomed by Phil and his wife, Phyllis
View
Date:2025-04-13 06:29:05
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! (2844)
Related
- McKinsey to pay $650 million after advising opioid maker on how to 'turbocharge' sales
- Floods threaten to shut down a quarter of U.S. roads and critical buildings
- Why Kelly Ripa Says She and Mark Consuelos Are Taking a Vow of Chastity
- Hilary Duff's Husband Matthew Koma Suspended From Twitter After Gwyneth Paltrow Prank
- The FTC says 'gamified' online job scams by WhatsApp and text on the rise. What to know.
- Katie Maloney Slams Tom Schwartz's Support of Tom Sandoval and His Creepy Raquel Leviss Kiss
- India leader Modi uses yoga to unite at U.N. ahead of Biden meeting, but many see him as a divider
- Martha Stewart Reveals What the F She's Really Doing to Get Her Amazing Appearance
- IRS recovers $4.7 billion in back taxes and braces for cuts with Trump and GOP in power
- 350 migrants on the boat that sank off Greece were from Pakistan. One village lost a generation of men.
Ranking
- 'Most Whopper
- We need to talk about your gas stove, your health and climate change
- 22 Dead, Many Missing After 17 Inches Of Rain In Tennessee
- Protesters say school kids swung dead cats to mock them at New Zealand feral animal hunt weigh-in
- Civic engagement nonprofits say democracy needs support in between big elections. Do funders agree?
- The Ivory-Billed Woodpecker And More Than 20 Other Species Have Gone Extinct
- The Tokyo Games Could End Up Being The Hottest Summer Olympics Ever
- Barbie's Hari Nef Reveals How Margot Robbie and Greta Gerwig Adjusted Film Schedule for Her
Recommendation
Grammy nominee Teddy Swims on love, growth and embracing change
Thai police wrap up probe of suspected cyanide serial killer: Even Jack the Ripper ... did not kill this many
What is the Wagner Group, and who is Yevgeny Prigozhin? What to know about the Russian private military company
Tearful Jeremy Renner Recalls Writing Last Words to His Family After Snowplow Accident
Senate begins final push to expand Social Security benefits for millions of people
How Climate Change Is Fueling Hurricanes Like Ida
TLC's Chilli Shares Update on Relationship With Boyfriend Matthew Lawrence
See Kane Brown Make His Blazing Hot Acting Debut in Fire Country Sneak Peek