How Old is Groundhog Day's Punxsutawney Phil?

Since Americans have been watching Punxsutawney Phil deliver his meteorological predictions on Groundhog Day for decades, he's really gotta be getting up there in years. How old is that magical rodent?

Unlike other prominent animal mascots (e.g. Bevo the longhorn), Punxsutawney Phil never retires and hand down the heavy burden of his responsibilities to a younger protege. According to the mysterious Inner Circle of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club (you know, those guys who stand on the stage dressed in black bow ties and top hats) Phil is well over 123 years old.

No kidding, Punxsutawney Phil has been making Groundhog Day predictions since 1887. The average lifespan of a groundhog is somewhere in the realm of 6 to 8 years, perhaps a little longer in captivity. However, not all groundhogs are created equal ... and an exceedingly few of them are cared for by their very own secret society.

According to the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, the Illuminati-esque Inner Circle feeds Phil a magical punch each summer which extends his life for another 7 years of Groundhog Days. In short, this punch makes Phil virtually immortal. The secret recipe is highly guarded, for obvious reasons.