BRIDGEPORT, Conn. – Football team loyalties can sink the closest relationships, especially when support for either the Kansas City Chiefs or Philadelphia Eagles has friends and family members on opposing sides. Human sports experts have made their own predictions, but if you’re still undecided about which team to support, stick your neck out and go with the tortoises and turtles at Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo!
Watch as a pair of Eastern box turtles, Igor the Russian tortoise, and Darwin the gopher tortoise come out of their shells to choose the Philadelphia Eagles, two to one, as their projected winner. Animals have a proud history of picking Super Bowl winners. This year, animal bet makers at zoos around the country have included African lions, red pandas, sea lions, giraffes, and orangutans.
Zoo Director Gregg Dancho isn’t walking on eggshells with his prediction—he’s all in on the Eagles to win. “I know Darwin the gopher tortoise and Eastern box turtles Rex and Alli aren’t playing a shell game,” he said. “But on Sunday, I’ll be watching the game with an eagle eye.”
Watch the videos here:
https://youtu.be/h3Sl3H83a2Q Eastern box turtles
https://youtu.be/LGe2zmnb0lg Igor the Russian tortoise
https://youtu.be/oGdr0bOPLzQ Darwin the gopher tortoise
Disclaimer: Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo does not guarantee that the turtles and tortoise’s prediction is scientifically accurate. The Zoo engages in animal enrichment activities on a regular basis, however, and the Zoo does guarantee that all the participants enjoyed making their pick.
About Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo
Let Your Curiosity Run Wild! Connecticut’s only zoo, celebrating its 101st year, features 350 animals representing primarily North and South American and Northern Asian species. Guests won’t want to miss our Amur tiger and leopards, maned wolves, Mexican gray wolves and red wolves. Other highlights include our Spider Monkey Habitat, the prairie dog exhibit, and the Pampas Plain with giant anteaters and Chacoan peccaries. Guests can grab a bite from the Peacock Café and eat in the Picnic Grove. As an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and participant in its Species Survival Plan (SSP) programs, the non-profit Zoo is committed to the preservation of endangered animals and wild habitats. Tickets must be purchased on the Zoo’s website at beardsleyzoo.org.