Hogle Zoo orangutan picks New England Patriots to win the Super Bowl — but will she live up to her dad’s winning prediction record?
Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune
Acara, one of the orangutans at Utah's Hogle Zoo, chose the New England Patriots to win Super Bowl LII by touching the papier-mâché helmet of the team over the one representing the Philadelphia Eagles.
| Feb. 2, 2018, 12:45 a.m.
| Updated: Feb. 3, 2018, 8:06 p.m.
The New England Patriots must be hoping that Acara, an orangutan at Utah’s Hogle Zoo, knows how to pick winners more like her dad than her brother.
Acara entered her pen tentatively Thursday, checking out two paper mache helmets set out by her keepers: one for the New England Patriots, the other for the Philadelphia Eagles, their opponent Sunday evening’s Super Bowl.
She moseyed over to the Patriot helmet and grabbed its face mask, making New England her choice to win the big game — to the dismay of much of the small crowd assembled for the annual event.
If 12-year-old Acara inherited any soothsayer genes from her father, Eli, the Patriots can feel more secure as they seek their sixth Super Bowl title. Eli was seven-for-seven in his picks.
Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune
Acara - the Hogle Zoo's Bornean Orangutan, chooses the New England Patriots as the winner of Super Bowl 52 by touching the papier-mâché helmet of the team over the one representing the Eagles, at Salt Lake City's Hogle Zoo, Thursday, February, 1, 2018.
Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune
Acara - the Hogle Zoo's Bornean Orangutan, munches on the remnants of the papier-mache helmet representing the Philadelphia Eagles at Salt Lake City's Hogle Zoo, Thursday, February, 1, 2018. Earlier, she chose the New England Patriots as the winners of Super Bowl 52, Thursday, February, 1, 2018.
Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune
Mia, left, an adult male Bornean Orangutan munches on vegetables from the inside of the remnants of the papier-mache helmet of the Philadelphia Eagles. Earlier, Acara, right, another of the Hogle Zoo's Bornean Orangutans, chose the New England Patriots as the winners of Super Bowl 52 by touching the Patriot helmet over the one representing the Philadelphia Eagles at Salt Lake City's Hogle Zoo, Thursday, February, 1, 2018.
Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune
Mia, an adult male Bornean Orangutan settles down in the corner of the enclosure to munch on vegetables from inside the papier-mache helmet of the Philadelphia Eagles. Earlier, Acara - another of the Hogle Zoo's Bornean Orangutans, chose the New England Patriots as the winners of Super Bowl 52 by touching the Patriot helmet over the one representing the Philadelphia Eagles at Salt Lake City's Hogle Zoo, Thursday, February, 1, 2018.
Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune
Mia, one of the Hogle Zoo's Bornean Orangutans, nibbles on the papier-mache helmet the New England Patriots after another of the Zoo's orangutans chose the Patriots as the winners of Super Bowl 52 by touching the Patriot helmet over the one representing the Philadelphia Eagles at Salt Lake City's Hogle Zoo, Thursday, February, 1, 2018.
Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune
Mia an adult male Bornean Orangutan munches on the remnants of the papier-mache helmet of the Philadelphia Eagles. Earlier, Acara - the Hogle Zoo's Bornean Orangutan, chose the New England Patriots as the winners of Super Bowl 52 by touching the Patriot helmet over the one representing the Philadelphia Eagles at Salt Lake City's Hogle Zoo, Thursday, February, 1, 2018.
Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune
Mia, left, an adult male Bornean Orangutan settles down in the corner of the enclosure to munch on vegetables from inside the papier-mache helmet of the Philadelphia Eagles. Earlier, Acara,center, another of the Hogle Zoo's Bornean Orangutans, chose the New England Patriots as the winners of Super Bowl 52 by touching the Patriot helmet over the one representing the Philadelphia Eagles at Salt Lake City's Hogle Zoo, Thursday, February, 1, 2018.
After Eli died two years ago, his son Tuah took over. But Tuah flopped, coming up wrong on both of his selections. So zoo officials switched this year to Acara, knowing she was more mature than her 8-year-old brother and figuring she’s better suited to getting it right.
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