Current:Home > FinancePunxsutawney Phil is a dad! See the 2 groundhog pups welcomed by Phil and his wife, Phyllis -AssetBase
Punxsutawney Phil is a dad! See the 2 groundhog pups welcomed by Phil and his wife, Phyllis
View
Date:2025-04-13 14:54:05
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 [email protected].
veryGood! (23853)
Related
- All That You Wanted to Know About She’s All That
- Deadly chocolate factory caused by faulty gas fitting, safety board finds
- Friend for life: Mourning dog in Thailand dies at owner's funeral
- McConnell absent from Senate on Thursday as he recovers from fall in Capitol
- Could your smelly farts help science?
- Arctic Tundra Shifts to Source of Climate Pollution, According to New Report Card
- Horoscopes Today, December 11, 2024
- Chiquis comes from Latin pop royalty. How the regional Mexican star found her own crown
- What to know about Tuesday’s US House primaries to replace Matt Gaetz and Mike Waltz
- KISS OF LIFE reflects on sold
Ranking
- Google unveils a quantum chip. Could it help unlock the universe's deepest secrets?
- Joe Burrow’s home broken into during Monday Night Football in latest pro
- 'Wicked' sing
- Rebecca Minkoff says Danny Masterson was 'incredibly supportive to me' at start of career
- The White House is cracking down on overdraft fees
- Stock market today: Asian stocks are mixed ahead of key US inflation data
- OpenAI releases AI video generator Sora to all customers
- Trump says Kari Lake will lead Voice of America. He attacked it during his first term
Recommendation
Who's hosting 'Saturday Night Live' tonight? Musical guest, how to watch Dec. 14 episode
Trump names Andrew Ferguson as head of Federal Trade Commission to replace Lina Khan
Neanderthals likely began 'mixing' with modern humans later than previously thought
A Malibu wildfire prompts evacuation orders and warnings for 20,000, including Dick Van Dyke, Cher
At site of suspected mass killings, Syrians recall horrors, hope for answers
OCBC chief Helen Wong joins Ho Ching, Jenny Lee on Forbes' 100 most powerful women list
Making a $1B investment in the US? Trump pledges expedited permits — but there are hurdles
How Hailee Steinfeld and Josh Allen Navigate Their Private Romance on Their Turf