Boone, the black rhino at the San Francisco Zoo, prowls his exhibit in search of Baltimore Ravens for breakfast prior to the Super Bowl. Copyright San Francisco Zoo.
The San Francisco Zoo and the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore are squaring off over the Super Bowl this Sunday. Don Hutchinson, president and CEO of The Maryland Zoo and Tanya Peterson, executive director and president of the San Francisco Zoological Society spent some time talking about their respective teams before hammering out a fun bet on the outcome of Super Bowl XLVII.
Rise and Conquer, official mascots of the Baltimore Ravens, are ready for Boone and his 49er friends. Copyright Maryland Zoo in Baltimore.
Earlier this week they exchanged their bets, both hinging on some favorite animals representing the teams in each city. The Maryland Zoo is home to Rise and Conquer, the official mascots of the Baltimore Ravens. The birds can be seen at each home game on RavensWalk and on the sidelines during the games. The San Francisco Zoo has on exhibit a young black rhino named “Boone” after the San Francisco 49ers offensive tackle Alex Boone (Introducing Alex “The Rhino” Boone).
The bet is that if the 49ers win the Super Bowl this Sunday, The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore will name the Raven exhibit the “San Francisco 49ers exhibit,” with a special dedication to the San Francisco Zoo. The Zoo will make the name change with the appropriate pomp and circumstance. The exhibit will carry the name for one month beginning February 11th. If Baltimore wins on Sunday, the San Francisco Zoo will name their Black Rhino exhibit after the Ravens for a similar time with all due pomp and circumstance.
“We’ll even have Boone’s enrichment look like crow, I mean, raven, because if the 49ers lose, we are all eating crow here!” said Peterson.
Boone’s pre-Super Bowl breakfast – eggplant, yellow squash and cabbage. Copyright San Francisco Zoo.
During the course of the week leading up to the Super Bowl, both zoos have been having fun with enrichment treats for the animals. In Baltimore, they received footballs painted in 49ers colors, and in San Francisco, Boone the rhino devoured a Ravens’ logo created out of vegetables on Thursday.
So, with both teams now in New Orleans and Boone, Rise and Conquer and other favorite zoo animals sated on treats themed on the their respective rivals, let the fun begin!
In a worrying development for Ravens fans, Boone feasts on the Baltimore Raven’s logo for breakfast. Copyright Marianne Hale.
Tim Lewthwaite
