Current:Home > reviewsPunxsutawney Phil is a dad! See the 2 groundhog pups welcomed by Phil and his wife, Phyllis -FutureFinance
Punxsutawney Phil is a dad! See the 2 groundhog pups welcomed by Phil and his wife, Phyllis
Ethermac Exchange View
Date:2025-04-10 16:41:53
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! (9473)
Related
- Nearly 400 USAID contract employees laid off in wake of Trump's 'stop work' order
- Caitlin Clark got people's attention. There's plenty of talent in the game to make them stay
- The Black Keys ditch insecurities and enlist Beck, Noel Gallagher, hip-hop on new album
- Colt Ford 'in stable but critical condition' after suffering heart attack post-performance
- 'Malcolm in the Middle’ to return with new episodes featuring Frankie Muniz
- Portland, Oregon, schools and after-school program sued after a 9-year-old girl is allegedly raped
- Mercedes workers at an Alabama plant call for union representation vote
- Chick-fil-A via drone delivery? How the fight for sky dominance is heating up
- What to watch: O Jolie night
- Here's how one airline is planning to provide a total eclipse experience — from 30,000 feet in the air
Ranking
- Megan Fox's ex Brian Austin Green tells Machine Gun Kelly to 'grow up'
- 5 lessons for young athletes (and their parents) from the NCAA Final Four basketball teams
- USC’s Bronny James declares for NBA draft and enters transfer portal after 1 season
- March Madness: How to watch the women’s Final Four and what to watch for in the NCAA Tournament
- $73.5M beach replenishment project starts in January at Jersey Shore
- NC State's D.J. Burns has Purdue star Zach Edey's full attention and respect
- Procter & Gamble recalls 8.2 million laundry pods including Tide, Gain, Ace and Ariel detergents
- Judge dismisses lawsuit of injured Dakota Access pipeline protester
Recommendation
Bodycam footage shows high
Pauly Shore and The Comedy Store sued for assault and battery by comedian Eliot Preschutti
How are earthquakes measured? Get the details on magnitude scales and how today's event stacks up
How three former high school coaches reached the 2024 men's Final Four
Appeals court scraps Nasdaq boardroom diversity rules in latest DEI setback
Biden visits site of Baltimore bridge collapse
Buy groceries at Walmart recently? You may be eligible for a class action settlement payment
WWE women's division has a big WrestleMania 40, but its 'best is yet to come'