SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — It was Zooper Bowl at the San Francisco zoo on Friday where Boone the black rhino representing the Denver Broncos was pitted against a five-month-old lion cub representing the Carolina panthers.
The first to get to the football served as the zoo’s prediction to win Super Bowl 50. Boone got an early bead on the ball while the young cub got distracted in the backfield.
But the mother, Sukari, made a run that secured the victory for the Panthers.
“The winner who got to the enrichment first is our Super Bowl prediction, and it looks like the lions won with 1 minute and 13 seconds,” zoo spokesman Jim Nappi said. “It’s typical of our rhino, slow to approach but comes definitely through in the end.”
While the lions appeared confident in victory, Boone the rhino seemed to enjoy his runnerup status for bit longer.
“Boone is a great species ambassador at the Zoo, but we saw today that he’s no match in speed to our adorable lion family,” said Tanya M. Peterson, who is President and Executive Director of the San Francisco Zoo. “We’re thrilled to kickoff Zooper Bowl weekend at the Zoo and encourage fans from near and far to take advantage of the beautiful weather and visit our more than 2,000 animals.”
Zooper Bowl weekend ends on Feb. 8. Guests wearing football gear will get $1 off zoo admission, the zoo said.