Chich, a two and a half year-old reticulated giraffe at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo, uses his long tongue to predict the Seattle Seahawks will win the Super Bowl on Sunday in Santa Clara. (Chris Riley/Times-Herald)
Instead of gambling on this year’s Super Bowl winner, football fans can place a bet on a giraffe to select it for them.
Six Flags Discovery Kingdom’s yearly tradition bestows the honor of picking a winner for the big game on an animal. The lucky mammal this year is Chich, a 2-year-old giraffe.
Animal care specialists Jennifer Stapleton and Hilary Mills placed two vertically decorated boxes in front of Chich — one with the neon green of the Seattle Seahawks, the other with the navy blue of the New England Patriots.
The boxes were then filled with pieces of yams and carrots to try to lure the juvenile giraffe to eat out of one.
Stapleton, who has been caring for animals for two decades, says Chich prefers red leaf lettuce, green leaf, and dandelion greens.
Stapleton said that while giraffes sometimes feed on yams and carrots, they’re higher in sugar for them. Giraffes will eat leafy greens, such as alfalfa and acacia.
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“Higher sugar is not all that healthy, just like with humans,” she added. “We will use them on occasion, but it’s high value. We use it sparingly.”
With both boxes placed in front of him, Chich curiously leaned toward one. He wiggled his tongue, probing around the box.
After conducting his own investigation, Chich curled his tongue around the kale and munched, dragging the box of his choice down to the ground.
For the first three rounds, he chose tentatively. First, he ate out of the Seahawks box. For the second round, the Patriots. Then, the Seahawks again.
Once he gained more confidence, his choice was clear. With both boxes refilled with food, Chich craned his neck towards the Seahawks box as if there were a magnetic pull.
“It might have something to do with the logo,” Stapleton teased. “This time last year, he couldn’t even reach the giraffe dock.”
Even Brandon, the park’s 14-year-old giraffe, took his turn selecting this year’s winner. Like Chich, he was careful about his selection and munched politely on the kale. After several rounds, he, too, kept going back to the Seahawks box.
Both giraffes are affectionately described by Stapleton as “nothing but trouble.”
In the end, Chich went with his instincts and stuck with the animal kingdom.
Originally published at Aline Valiente