Current:Home > ScamsPunxsutawney Phil is a dad! See the 2 groundhog pups welcomed by Phil and his wife, Phyllis -Thrive Capital Insights
Punxsutawney Phil is a dad! See the 2 groundhog pups welcomed by Phil and his wife, Phyllis
View
Date:2025-04-24 12:16:01
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! (875)
Related
- Senate begins final push to expand Social Security benefits for millions of people
- Quality early education can be expensive or hard to find. Home visits bring it to more families
- Jon Bon Jovi says Millie Bobby Brown 'looked gorgeous' during wedding to son Jake Bongiovi
- Victoria Beckham Shares the Simple Reason She Keeps a “Very Disciplined” Diet
- Spooky or not? Some Choa Chu Kang residents say community garden resembles cemetery
- Hollywood Makeup Artist Allie Shehorn Stabbed More Than 20 Times in Brutal Attack
- Time is running out for American victims of nuclear tests. Congress must do what's right.
- 2 new giant pandas are returning to Washington's National Zoo from China
- Macy's says employee who allegedly hid $150 million in expenses had no major 'impact'
- Missouri mom went to police station after killing her 2 young children, sheriff says
Ranking
- Opinion: Gianni Infantino, FIFA sell souls and 2034 World Cup for Saudi Arabia's billions
- Oilers roar back, score 5 unanswered goals to tie conference finals with Stars 2-2
- Less than 2% of philanthropic giving goes to women and girls. Can Melinda French Gates change that?
- The Daily Money: Hate speech on Facebook?
- The White House is cracking down on overdraft fees
- West Virginia’s first ombudsman for state’s heavily burdened foster care system resigns
- A 6th house has collapsed into the Atlantic Ocean along North Carolina’s Outer Banks
- Selena Gomez Responds to Boyfriend Benny Blanco Revealing He Wants Marriage and Kids
Recommendation
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear ready to campaign for Harris-Walz after losing out for spot on the ticket
Ohio man gets probation after pleading guilty to threatening North Caroilna legislator
Baby formula maker recalls batch after failing to register formula with FDA
La otra disputa fronteriza es sobre un tratado de aguas de 80 años
Connie Chiume, South African 'Black Panther' actress, dies at 72
Shania Twain doesn't hate ex-husband Robert John Lange for affair: 'It's his mistake'
Minnesota defeats Boston in Game 5 to capture inaugural Walter Cup, PWHL championship
Reports: Texans, WR Nico Collins agree to three-year, $72.75 million extension