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DRAPER — Super Bowl LVII figures to be a tight contest, given that the Philadelphia Eagles are only a slight 1.5-point favorite among most Las Vegas oddsmakers on Friday.
It appears Utah's zoo animals are equally conflicted about Sunday's big game, possibly making it a toss-up.
Koshi, an 8-year-old male clouded leopard at Loveland Living Planet Aquarium, is picking the underdog Kansas City Chiefs. He wasted no time making his decision Friday, snagging a red-colored ice cake made with watered-down goat's milk, hard-boiled eggs for laces and fresh meat over a green one. Score one for the Patrick Mahomes-led, high-powered Kansas City offense.
But not so fast, says Vulcan, an 11-year-old male African lion at Utah's Hogle Zoo. He took Jalen Hurts and the Eagles, making his pick by going straight to food placed in an Eagles-themed box on Thursday. There's a lot riding on his pick, too. Not only is Vulcan perfect in his pigskin picks, but Hogle Zoo's "fur"tune-tellers also have never been wrong.
Sunday's showdown will determine which one is right.
Officials from both zoos contend that both pick'em events are merely opportunities for guests to learn more about each creature.
"Providing unique and fun enrichment activities for our clouded leopard, like this Super Bowl pick, offers a great way for people to connect with our animals and learn about our efforts towards conservation and what they can do to help," said Karmel Harper, a spokeswoman for Loveland Living Planet Aquarium.
The animals got a head start on the Super Bowl snacks, too.
