There's a lot of betting around the Super Bowl, but we suggest oddsmakers take this news with a grain of salt: A lion cub at the San Francisco Zoo has predicted the Carolina Panthers will win the big game. How, you ask? Simple: He edged out a baby rhino in the Zooper Bowl.
Here's how the wild game went down: The players were the five-month-old lion cub and his mother Sukari (the cub will be named on April 30 at Zoo Fest) and a seven-year-old black rhino named Boone (after 49er Alex Boone, of course). In a show of feline solidarity, the lions represented the Panthers, the rhino stood in for the Denver Broncos. The animal that tore into a football-themed treat first was the winner. (No word on what the treat was, but we assume it appealed to the taste buds of the beasts.)
It took the lions just 1:13 to taste victory; Boone the rhino came in second at 1:32. Should the Panthers win, perhaps these lions will have a future predicting the future.
In the spirit of the event, all guests wearing their favorite football attire will receive $1 off zoo admission from now through Monday. A portion of ticket sales will be donated to both big cat and horse conservation organizations. So, no matter which team triumphs in Santa Clara, animals will share in the win.