Honolulu Zoo elephant picks Cincinnati Bengals to win Super Bowl
Mari, a resident Asian elephant at Honolulu Zoo, has picked the Cincinnati Bengals as the team she expects to win Super Bowl LVI in Los Angeles, Calif., this Sunday.
As zoo visitors watched on Thursday, Mari showed her support for the Bengals and their quarterback, Joe Burrow, by choosing a watermelon carved with the team’s logo over that of the Los Angeles Rams.
Mari, 46, shares her habitat at the zoo with a second Asian elephant, Vaigai, 36. Both headed out to make their picks at the same time, but Mari made it to her watermelon first.
“It’s the year of the tiger, so perhaps it’s not surprising Mari picked the Bengals,” said Linda Santos, Honolulu Zoo director, in a news release. “Elephants are incredibly intelligent and compassionate. They have the ability to show empathy as well as comfort one another when distressed. I believe Mari made this pick with her heart. She also successfully predicted the winner last year, anticipating that Tom Brady and the Buccaneers would beat the Kansas City Chiefs.”