Jersey zoo camel picks Ravens to win Super Bowl

John Bergman, manager of Popcorn Park Zoo in Forked River, with Princess last year. The camel has accurately picked recent Super Bowl winners and predicts defeat for the 49ers. (AP)

John Bergman, manager of Popcorn Park Zoo in Forked River, with Princess last year. The camel has picked recent Super Bowl winners and predicts defeat for the 49ers.

GALLERY: John Bergman, manager of Popcorn Park Zoo in Forked River,… (AP )

By Emily Babay, PHILLY.COM

Posted: January 26, 2013

A camel at a Central New Jersey zoo has predicted the winner in seven of the last eight Super Bowls. Baltimore football fans are hoping her streak continues.

Princess, a 26-year-old camel at the Popcorn Park Zoo in Forked River, Ocean County, has chosen the Ravens to beat the San Francisco 49ers, zoo manager John Bergmann said.

"She's been pretty uncanny," said Bergmann, who said he was a bit surprised at Princess' choice. In the playoffs, she picked the 49ers to beat the Atlanta Falcons, but chose the Denver Broncos over the Ravens.

Bergmann writes the name of one team on each of his palms, then covers the names with graham crackers. The cracker Princess eats first reveals her pick.

In the regular season, Princess makes picks for some New York Giants and Jets games. She used to do the Eagles, but that stopped when Michael Vick - who served time on a dogfighting conviction - joined the team.)

Princess went 11-6 in the regular season. "Not one of her better years," Bergmann said.

The predictions started during the 2005 season, when the zoo was contacted by some radio DJs who wanted to compete with an animal at picking games.

Princess has made some surprising predictions, including the correct one that the Giants would beat the New England Patriots in last year's Super Bowl.

That must cheer Baltimore fans, as the odds appear to favor San Francisco.

"She's picked some pretty big upsets," Bergmann said.

Contact Emily Babay at 215-854-2153 or ebabay@philly.com, or follow on Twitter @emilybabay.