Current:Home > MarketsPunxsutawney Phil is a dad! See the 2 groundhog pups welcomed by Phil and his wife, Phyllis -Nova Finance Academy
Punxsutawney Phil is a dad! See the 2 groundhog pups welcomed by Phil and his wife, Phyllis
View
Date:2025-04-17 11:40:06
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! (884)
Related
- NHL in ASL returns, delivering American Sign Language analysis for Deaf community at Winter Classic
- Trader Joe's recalls its frozen falafel for possibly having rocks in it
- These are the classic video games you can no longer play (Spoiler: It's most of them)
- Sen. McConnell plans to serve his full term as Republican leader despite questions about his health
- EU countries double down on a halt to Syrian asylum claims but will not yet send people back
- Four women whose lives ended in a drainage ditch outside Atlantic City
- When does 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem' come out? Cast, trailer, what to know
- Four women whose lives ended in a drainage ditch outside Atlantic City
- Woman dies after Singapore family of 3 gets into accident in Taiwan
- 'Haunted Mansion' movie: All the Easter eggs that Disneyland fans will love (Spoilers!)
Ranking
- Paula Abdul settles lawsuit with former 'So You Think You Can Dance' co
- 4 dead, 2 injured in two separate aircraft accidents in Wisconsin
- July is set to be hottest month ever recorded, U.N. says, citing latest temperature data
- The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 expands the smartphone experience—pre-order and save up to $1,000
- Woman dies after Singapore family of 3 gets into accident in Taiwan
- Nightengale's Notebook: Cardinals in a new 'awful' position as MLB trade deadline sellers
- The One-Mile Rule: Texas’ Unwritten and Arbitrary Policy Protects Big Polluters from Citizen Complaints
- You may be entitled to money from the Facebook user privacy settlement: How to file a claim
Recommendation
Macy's says employee who allegedly hid $150 million in expenses had no major 'impact'
Ford to recall 870,000 F-150 trucks for issues with parking brakes
When do new 'Futurama' episodes come out? Cast, schedule, how to watch
Have Mercy and Check Out These 25 Surprising Secrets About Full House
Residents worried after ceiling cracks appear following reroofing works at Jalan Tenaga HDB blocks
Subway fanatic? Win $50K in sandwiches by legally changing your name to 'Subway'
Mark Zuckerberg Is All Smiles as He Takes Daughters to Taylor Swift's Eras Tour Concert
Kansas transgender people find Democratic allies in court bid to restore their right to alter IDs