Super Bowl LV: Zoo Knoxville’s giant tortoise picks Chiefs to win

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — On the eve of Super Bowl LV, another expert weighed in on his prediction for the big game. And when a guy is nearly twice as old as the Super Bowl, it’s a good idea to pay attention.

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Zoo Knoxville’s Aldabra giant tortoise, Big Al, is more than 120 years old. On Saturday, his handlers allowed him to predict who would win Sunday’s game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, WBIR reported.

Zoo officials put two bowls in front of the tortoise with the logos for each team, the television station reported. Big Al ate from the bowl labeled for the Chiefs, meaning he believes Patrick Mahomes and Company will be hoisting the Vince Lombardi Trophy for the second straight year when time runs out at Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium.

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Aldabra giant tortoises are mostly herbivores that eat grasses and leaves, according to Zoo Knoxville officials. In the wild, they have been known to eat small invertebrates and decomposing body parts of other animals. Big Al, who has been in captivity, prefers fruits like apples, bananas and vegetable pellets, WBIR reported.

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The tortoise can be found on Aldabra Island northeast of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean. They can live to be over 200 years old, and a male tortoise can weigh up to 550 pounds.

Big Al has his own Twitter account, WBIR reported. He “tweets” facts about tortoises and other animals in the zoo, spicing his posts with jokes and animal-themed puns.

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