Controversy surrounds orangutan’s Fiesta Bowl pick. What it means for UCF and LSU.
In the latest episode of animals predicting a sporting event’s outcome, the UCF Knights were chosen to win Tuesday’s PlayStation Fiesta Bowl.
But there was some controversy at the Phoenix Zoo surrounding the orangutans making their choice of the marquee bowl game pitting UCF against LSU.
Jiwa, a 4-year-old orangutan, had the choice between two figures, one wearing an LSU shirt and the other with a UCF shirt. Jiwa climbed onto the platform with the two figures and ripped the paper-plated head off the figure with the LSU shirt.
Zoo officials did not rule it was a selection for LSU to win Tuesday’s Fiesta Bowl as Jiwa did not interact with the LSU shirt, per the rules of the prediction, according to the Baton Rouge Daily Advertiser.
Later, Jiwa’s father, Mike, walked in front of the platform and snagged both the LSU and UCF figures together.
Zoo officials declared Mike chose UCF to win the Fiesta Bowl.
The Phoenix Zoo has seen predictions for the Fiesta Bowl from its orangutans in the past. For the 2016 game, a 9-year-old orangutan named Daniel selected Notre Dame as the winner over Ohio State, according to the Arizona Republic.
It was an incorrect prediction that year as the Buckeyes defeated the Irish, 44-28.
Will history repeat itself? We’ll have to wait until Tueday’s game concludes. The Fiesta Bowl is scheduled for a 1 p.m. kickoff.
This story was originally published January 1, 2019 at 10:45 AM with the headline "Controversy surrounds orangutan’s Fiesta Bowl pick. What it means for UCF and LSU.."
