Current:Home > StocksPunxsutawney Phil is a dad! See the 2 groundhog pups welcomed by Phil and his wife, Phyllis-InfoLens
Punxsutawney Phil is a dad! See the 2 groundhog pups welcomed by Phil and his wife, Phyllis
View Date:2025-01-11 07:52:46
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! (6)
Related
- Who will save Florida athletics? Gators need fixing, and it doesn't stop at Billy Napier
- Marian Robinson, the mother of Michelle Obama who lived in the White House, dies at 86
- Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes Prove They're the Ones to Beat at White House Celebration With Chiefs
- How Dance Moms’ Kelly Hyland Is Preserving Her Hair Amid Cancer Treatment
- NASCAR Hall of Fame driver Bobby Allison dies at 86
- Whistleblower lawsuit alleges retaliation by Missouri House speaker
- 100 years ago, US citizenship for Native Americans came without voting rights in swing states
- When will Mike Tyson and Jake Paul fight? What we know after bout is postponed
- Glen Powell responds to rumor that he could replace Tom Cruise in 'Mission: Impossible'
- Whistleblower lawsuit alleges retaliation by Missouri House speaker
Ranking
- Wildfires burn on both coasts. Is climate change to blame?
- Millions of Americans are losing access to low-cost internet service
- Toyota Opens a ‘Megasite’ for EV Batteries in a Struggling N.C. Community, Fueled by Biden’s IRA
- Mike Tyson facing health risks as he trains with an ulcer, doctors say. Should he fight?
- Garth Brooks wants to move his sexual assault case to federal court. How that could help the singer.
- USWNT transformation under Emma Hayes begins. Don't expect overnight changes
- Kansas Constitution does not include a right to vote, state Supreme Court majority says
- Champions League final: Real Madrid’s European kings are so good, Ancelotti wants them to be studied
Recommendation
-
Mississippi rising, Georgia falling in college football NCAA Re-Rank 1-134 after Week 11
-
From collapsed plea deal to trial: How Hunter Biden has come to face jurors on federal gun charges
-
Romance Writers of America files for bankruptcy after tumultuous split spurred by racism allegations
-
New Jersey attorney general blames shore town for having too few police on boardwalk during melee
-
Kraft Heinz stops serving school-designed Lunchables because of low demand
-
Whistleblower lawsuit alleges retaliation by Missouri House speaker
-
Costco vows not to hike the price of its $1.50 hot dog combo
-
How Real Housewives Stars Heather Dubrow and Alexis Bellino’s Transgender Kids Brought Them Closer