Panaʻewa Rainforest Zoo Animals Give Seattle Slight Edge in Super Bowl LX

A lighthearted prediction activity at Panaʻewa Rainforest Zoo in Hilo handed the Seattle Seahawks a narrow symbolic advantage ahead of Super Bowl LX, after a mix of animal responses left zoo staff and visitors smiling. The zoo showed pictures of the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots mascots to a selection of residents; animals signaled their choice by moving toward or touching the image, and reptile and fish supporters tipped the balance toward Seattle.

Among the named participants, Aldabra tortoise Darwin clearly chose the Seahawks, while Swannie’s koi fish friends were unanimous, all of them swimming toward the Seahawks. Catalina macaw Max proudly picked New England. The zoo’s black swan, Swannie, was captured in a video taking no interest in either team; Friends of the Panaʻewa Zoo posted at 7 p.m., Feb. 6 noting, “Our black swan Swannie is only interested in the halftime show.” Tigers Sriracha and Tzatziki declined to back either Super Bowl team, with zoo administrator Mindy Runnels summing up their preference: “Nah,” and “They are Cincinnati [Bengals] fans!” Runnels added, “It will be interesting to see who they pick,” referring to other zoo residents and similar events across the state.

The matchup itself is a high-profile rematch: the Seattle Seahawks against the New England Patriots, echoing Super Bowl XLIX. Panaʻewa’s creature conjecture was explicitly playful rather than scientific, the zoo did not publish numeric tallies of votes or a formal methodology, but the event generated local attention and social-media engagement for Hilo’s only zoo.

For Big Island residents the immediate impact is cultural and economic in small but tangible ways. The zoo’s post and accompanying video give Hilo fresh, family-friendly content tied to a major national event, potentially boosting weekday and weekend visitation in the short term and lending informal promotion to nearby restaurants and retailers on game day. Community-focused programming like this helps the zoo maintain visibility without large marketing outlays, supporting a broader trend in local institutions toward digital outreach and experience-driven draws that can feed modest increases in donations and admissions over time.

As a community touchpoint, the prediction event underscores Panaʻewa’s role in Hilo civic life, a venue for both education and light entertainment. Readers can expect similar quirky outreach from neighborhood organizations during major events, and the zoo’s social channels remain the place to watch for the video and any follow-up posts. Whether Darwin’s endorsement presages a Seattle victory or just a memorable moment for Big Island residents, the activity kept attention local and gave Hilo a share of Super Bowl conversation.