As sure as there’s a Super Bowl every year, there are football fans who will turn to their supposedly psychic animal friends to predict the outcome of the game. And even though the Eagles aren’t playing, there’s a bird in Philadelphia set to prophesize whether the Seattle Seahawks or the New England Patriots will lift the Lombardi Trophy on Sunday.
Following in the honored traditions of such clairvoyant creatures as Punxsutawney Phil, Jim the Wonder Dog and Paul the Octopus, the Nashville Zoo has Wilbur the binturong — a bearcat native to South and Southeast Asia — who predicted a Seahawks win. Wilbur is riding a two-year streak of making the correct pick.
Deuce and Zarina, two African Lions at the Blank Park Zoo in Des Moines, Iowa, also chose the Seahawks, as did Guacamole, a sea turtle at SEA LIFE in San Antonio.
With the Birds in their offseason, Philly sports fans are probably more interested in the Bad Bunny halftime show and whatever phrase Polymarket is wagering Mike Turico will say during the broadcast. But we figured we’d ask the Philadelphia Zoo if they had a psychic animal with insight into Sunday’s game, anyway.
And they do!
No, the oracle is not Ritz or Glory, the zoo’s resident bald eagles. Instead, the zoo is turning to the equally majestic Chick Pea, a 2-year-old Brahma chicken hen, Maria Bryant, the zoo’s communications director, revealed. Chick Pea is one of the Philly Zoo’s ambassador animals. She hatched there on July 7, 2023.
Chick Pea’s choice will be revealed through the zoo’s social media channels on Friday. The prediction process — as yet undisclosed to reporters — will take place sometime earlier that day.
Last year, the zoo asked Dean the hedgehog who would win, and he wisely picked the Eagles — while adding some extra thoughts about Kansas City at the same time.
Will Chick Pea side with a fellow bird — even though a Seahawk is a natural predator? Or will Philly’s America 250 vibes make her lean more patriotic?
Who knows, but at least now we’ll have something Philly-related to root for on Sunday.
