Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro hit back at People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) on Friday, after the activist group sent a letter to the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club promising to send them a vegan "weather reveal cake" if they agreed to stop pulling Punxsutawney Phil out of his burrow for his Feb. 2 prognostication.

"Come and take it," Shapiro tweeted in response to a New York Post story on PETA's demand.

Manuel Bonder, a spokesman for Shapiro, told Fox News Digital the governor stands by his comments and said he will again make the trip to Gobbler's Knob in Jefferson County on Sunday to witness Phil's 138th meteorological prediction.

Shapiro has been on-hand for every Groundhog Day ceremony in Punxsutawney since taking office in 2023.

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PETA President Ingrid Newkirk told the Post that Phil is denied the traditional lifestyle of a groundhog "for a tired old gimmick."

Visitors to Punxsutawney year-round can visit Phil and his "wife," Phyllis, at the borough library. On this reporter's last visit to the area, the rodents had recently become proud parents to a new baby groundhog, as well.

While Groundhog Day is considered a national holiday and has even been popularized in the classic 1993 Bill Murray film of the same name, the day — and Phil himself — hold a special place in many Pennsylvanians' hearts.

In addition to the large ceremony in western PA, throughout the rest of the Commonwealth, many historically Pennsylvania German communities are home to a "Grundsau Lodsch" or Groundhog Lodge. 

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Each lodge holds an annual banquet or "Versommling" in honor of their totem – Phil – with "Lodsch Nummer Ains an de Lechau" (Lodge #1 on the Lehigh River) in Allentown hosting theirs annually on the February 2 holiday itself since 1934.

Nineteen other lodges based around the state have held "Versommlinge" for decades, as well. 

However, three — "#2, Schibbach" in Montgomery County, "#3, Temple U." in Philadelphia County and "#5, Bind Bush" in Schuylkill County — have gone defunct in recent years as the Pennsylvania German language and culture see a decline in younger generations.

A March 2024 Versommling for "Lodge #18 an de Forelle Grick" (on Trout Creek) in Slatington featured local beer on tap, a traditional Pennsylvania German supper, stories and riddles from lodge elders told in the Pennsylvania German language, and, of course, representations of Phil himself.

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Until recently, it was the custom of groundhog lodges to forbid English-speaking in favor of "Pennsilfaanisch," lest the violator toss a nickel in a donation jar on their table.

Other states' groundhogs have been less lucky than Phil, as then-New York Mayor Bill de Blasio infamously dropped Staten Island Chuck during a 2014 ceremony in West New Brighton. Chuck later died from internal injuries after appearing to land on his head.

With the importance Groundhog Day and Phil himself hold to Pennsylvania past-and-present, Bonder said Shapiro will continue to defend the groundhog and his tradition, and will be on hand for future wintertime prognostications in Punxsutawney.

A teenager in Texas is facing a felony charge after allegedly killing a rival competitor's show goat a couple of months ago.

An arrest affidavit showed 17-year-old Aubrey Vanlandingham, who competes in livestock shows with her own goat, allegedly admitted to poisoning Willy, a younger competitor's goat, CBS Austin reported.

Vanlandingham is accused of using a drench gun to force-feed Willy a toxic pesticide inside the Vista Ridge High School's barn facility on Oct. 23, ultimately killing the 6-month-old goat, according to the outlet. Security footage allegedly showed the goat trying to escape the encounter.

The teenager was allegedly seen leaving Willy and returning to check on him two separate times during a two-hour period before calling the rival competitor's mother to tell her the goat wasn't doing well.

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Willy died in his owner's arms within 24 hours after experiencing convulsions and respiratory distress, CBS Austin said.

Vanlandingham allegedly admitted to killing her rival's goat because she thought the 15-year-old was "a cheater," the outlet reported from the arrest affidavit. She had tried to kill Willy before, but was unsuccessful.

Willy's cause of death was determined to be organophosphate intoxication from phosmet, a pesticide used for external parasite control in livestock.

The mother of the 15-year-old girl told the DailyMail that Vanlandingham doesn't appear to be remorseful. 

"It’s all bizarre. We want justice served, we don’t want a slap on the wrist. We want to make sure that she is punished. At this point, we don’t feel like she thinks she’s going to be punished and she needs to be. She needs to take ownership for what she’s done," she told the outlet, adding that they want her to go to jail and get mental help.

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A police investigation into Vanlandingham's phone revealed that she allegedly searched for information on lethal doses of bleach for animals and poisoning methods, according to CBS Austin. She also allegedly searched "how to clear search history."

The 15-year-old's mother determined Vanlandingham's alleged crime was fueled by jealousy, not cheating.

"You can’t even cheat when it comes to showing goats," she told the DailyMail. "It makes no sense, so that’s where the jealousy really kind of falls into place."

Vanlandingham was charged with cruelty to livestock animals, which is a felony in Texas punishable by up to two years in prison. She was arrested on Nov. 22 and released on a $5,000 bond the same day, jail records show.

Her court date is set for Jan. 15.

A bewildered mom happened upon her infant son being attacked by a raccoon that had sneaked inside their Idaho home and successfully fended off the unlikely holiday visitor.

The mother called the Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) and the Cassia County Sheriff’s Office Dec. 23 after she heard "a loud noise in the home" and discovered the raccoon attacking her baby boy, Idaho Fish and Game shared in a release.

Authorities said the mother managed to grab the furry intruder to save her son.

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The infant was taken to the Cassia Regional Hospital in Burley for undisclosed injuries before being transferred to a hospital in Salt Lake City.

According to officials, a sheriff’s deputy returned to the home with the baby's father, located the animal and killed it. 

IDFG noted it was unclear how the raccoon got inside the home and that there were no other raccoons inside.

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The animal's carcass has since been tested for rabies by the Idaho Bureau of Laboratories, and tests were negative, the release said.

"Once notified of the incident, staff from the Magic Valley Region activated their Wildlife Human Attack Response Team," the IDFG wrote. "This specially trained team of department staff has the responsibility to act to protect the safety of the public and incident responders; attempt to identify, locate, and control the animal(s) involved in a human-wildlife incident; and conduct, document and report investigative findings."

The agency noted that raccoon attacks on humans in the state are "extremely rare" and that there has only been one case of raccoon rabies documented in Idaho.

The IDFG instructed Idahoans to "never purposely feed a raccoon," saying they generally avoid humans unless they feel "threatened."

"As with all wildlife that can be found around homes in Idaho, the best course of action to avoid raccoon encounters is to take preventative actions before a problem starts," the department wrote. "Raccoons can live in a variety of habitats, but an area with access to water and food will attract them.

"A homeowner can limit food sources by securing residential garbage, removing any fallen fruit or rotten produce from your yard or garden, feeding pets indoors, keeping pet food securely stored, and removing or securing bird feeders," IDFG added. "Blocking raccoon access to hiding places in sheds and outbuildings and sealing off potential entryways and exits in and around a home will also discourage raccoon use."

Fox News Digital has reached out to the IDFG for comment.

A public vote has opened to name the Metro Richmond Zoo's newborn female pygmy hippopotamus calf. 

The calf was born Dec. 9, a Christmas Eve news release from the Virginia-based zoo announced.

"Hippo hooray! The zoo is excited to announce a heartwarming addition to our animal family just in time for the holidays: a baby pygmy hippo. The newborn arrived on December 9, 2024, after a 7-month gestation. Congratulations to pygmy hippo parents Iris and Corwin on the birth of another little girl," the zoo in Mosley said in the release. 

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The unnamed calf is the hippo couple's third in the last 4½ years, the zoo said, and is the second born at Christmastime. 

The release included a video of the zoo's newest resident romping about her enclosure with her mother. The video was set to the Christmas carol "I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas." 

"Most people don’t get a hippopotamus for Christmas at all, so we feel lucky to have received two over the years," the Metro Richmond Zoo said.

Iris delivered this calf in water, her first water birth, according to the zoo. Pygmy hippopotamuses, unlike their larger, more common counterparts, give birth on both land and in water. 

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"The baby’s natural instincts kicked in, and she started moving around in the water immediately," the zoo noted.

The newborn weighed in at "a healthy 15 pounds" and will weigh up to 600 pounds when she is fully grown, the release noted.

On Friday, Dec. 27, the Metro Richmond Zoo launched a poll to name the new calf. 

Choices include Poppy, Juniper, Hammie Mae, and Omi.

Poppy was chosen as a tribute to her mother's floral name, Juniper is a nod to her winter birthday, Hammie Mae is "a sweet and southern tie to Virginia ham" and Omi is the Yoruba word for "water," according to the Metro Richmond Zoo. 

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The poll received an "incredible response" in the first 24 hours it was open, the zoo said in an update posted to its website and Facebook page.

"We’re thrilled to see so many people joining in on the fun of naming our adorable pygmy hippo baby," the zoo said. 

The zoo received more than 14,000 votes "from hippo fans all over the world" during the first day of voting. 

The Metro Richmond Zoo clarified that if no name won an outright majority of the votes, there would be a second vote with the top two contenders. 

The zoo also posted a graph of the results so far but declined to say which name was in the lead.

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The poll closes Dec. 31 at 2 p.m., and the winning name will be announced New Year's Day. 

Fox News Digital reached out to the Metro Richmond Zoo for additional comment. 

The Metro Richmond Zoo's newborn pygmy hippo was born months after Moo Deng, another pygmy hippopotamus, went viral for her adorable antics in Thailand. 

Since Moo Deng first received worldwide attention over the summer, she has been parodied on "Saturday Night Live," correctly predicted the 2024 U.S. presidential election, inspired a makeup trend and prompted a two-hour-long traffic jam on the road to her zoo.

Just days after the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued a new order that all raw (unpasteurized) milk must be tested for bird flu, reports have emerged of animals dying of the virus.

In Los Angeles County, the public health department is investigating the deaths of two cats that reportedly consumed recalled raw milk.

After drinking the milk, the felines displayed symptoms that included lack of appetite, fever and neurologic issues, according to a press release from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.

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"The infected cats died after severe worsening of their illness, and subsequently tested positive for influenza A, a rare result in cats," the release stated.

Health officials are considering these "suspected H5 bird flu cases" and confirmatory testing is underway.

Cats can contract bird flu by consuming infected birds or other animals or drinking raw milk from infected cows, according to health officials.

Although it is possible for cats to transmit influenza strains to humans, there have been no reports of it happening with the current H5 bird flu outbreak.

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"The risk of H5 bird flu remains low in Los Angeles County, but this suspected case of the virus in a pet cat that consumed raw milk is a reminder that consuming raw dairy products can lead to severe illness in cats," said Dr. Barbara Ferrer, director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, in the release. 

"To avoid the spread of disease, including H5 bird flu, we strongly encourage residents and their pets to avoid raw dairy and undercooked meat products, limit contact with sick or dead animals, report sick or dead birds, and keep pets or poultry away from wild animals and birds."

Fox News Digital reached out to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health for additional comment.

Meanwhile, at the Wildlife World Zoo in Maricopa County, Arizona, a few resident animals have reportedly died after becoming infected with bird flu.

Local reports stated that a cheetah, a mountain lion, a swamphen, an Indian goose and a kookaburra died as a result of bird flu, according to a zoo official.

A white tiger also was confirmed to be infected but "appeared to be responding to treatment," per the report.

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"Maricopa County Department of Public Health (MCDPH) is working closely with state and federal partners to respond to detection of avian influenza in a small number of animals that are part of a zoo collection in Litchfield Park," health officials stated in a press release this week.

"Overall risk to the public and zoo visitors remains low."

A zoo representative provided an update to Fox News Digital on Friday.

"Fortunately, we are nine days out without anymore positive cases," the spokesperson said. "We also have not had any positive cases with any of our employees or volunteers as a result of avian influenza."

"We are all devastated by the loss of five cherished animals, but with over 6,000 animals, we are grateful that the impact was limited thanks to our swift response and robust protocols."

Continued outbreaks have also been reported among dairy cattle, poultry, waterfowl and wild birds in multiple U.S. states.

Sam Scarpino, PhD, director of AI and life sciences at Northeastern University in Boston, said the animal deaths are "continued signs" that the situation with H5N1 in the U.S. is "getting worse, not better."

"The reported infections in humans and now domestic cats due to their consumption of raw milk also highlights how dangerous it is for people to consume raw milk," he told Fox News Digital. 

"It’s important that we take steps to better control the transmission of H5N1 in dairy cows and better understand how it’s spreading between states in the U.S."

Dr. Jacob Glanville, CEO of Centivax, a San Francisco biotechnology company, warned that H5N1 has been found in "relatively high concentrations" in raw milk.

"Without pasteurizing it, the virus remains viable in the milk and could potentially infect someone who drinks it," he told Fox News Digital. 

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"It’s not that common of an occurrence, as we’ve not seen a rash of H5N1 infections from raw milk drinkers, but the virus is mutating and is therefore a potential risk."

Although most cows have only had mild infection, Glanville noted that the strain has been "highly virulent" in birds, ferrets and primates.

"Studies indicate that even a single mutation could significantly enhance its infectivity in humans," he said.

"Given the virus’ ability to persist in milk and infect mucosal membranes, along with the potential for a pandemic, avoiding raw milk is strongly recommended," Glanville added.

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The expert also emphasized that it’s critical to only drink pasteurized milk to prevent the spread of harmful pathogens commonly found in raw milk.