NEW GIANT AMAZON RIVER OTTERS AT MOODY GARDENS PREDICT THE SUPER BOWL

Galveston, Texas (February 9, 2022) – The biggest football game of the season is right around the corner and the two new Giant Amazon River Otters at Moody Gardens think they know who will be the winner of Super Bowl LVI. Mazaruni and Salvador decided the winner by choosing between two colored footballs representing each team. The blue football represented the Los Angeles Rams while the orange football represented the Cincinnati Bengals.  

 

Mazaruni and Salvador predicted a win by the Rams after stealing the blue football and swimming right down the middle and into the end zone. It was predicted to be a close game with the final score being 7-6. The otters celebrated the win with their favorite fish snack, Rainbow Trout.

 

These new otters came to Moody Gardens in August 2021 from the Jacksonville Zoo in Florida where they were born. These otters moved to Moody Gardens as a part of the Association of Zoos and Aquarium’s Species Survival Plan. Marazaruni and Salvador are siblings and they are 2 1/2 years old. Both of these young otters represent the work that accredited zoos are doing for conservation and population sustainability. Giant otters are endangered in their native range and Moody Gardens is able to fulfill an important part of its mission of conservation of this species through programs like the Species Survival Program. 

 

Mazaruni and Salvador are quite the playful twosome, as they portray with their football skills. Each otter has a specific pattern on their throat called a throat patch and this pattern is completely unique to that individual, just like a thumb print. They are great at pattern recognition and memorize the patterns of everyone in their family group, as well as any other otter they encounter in their life. This makes memorizing game plays an easy task for them, making them great Quarterbacks. Giant otters have upwards of 23 unique vocalizations that they use to communicate with their family group, as well as to alert others around them, and they can even vocalize underwater. Not only do they have a lot to say in their vast vocabulary, they say it loud and proud, reaching decibels louder than a rock concert. These otters don't need additional amps to get loud and bring the party for the Super Bowl halftime show. Guests can visit Mazaruni and Salvador inside of the Rainforest Pyramid at Moody Gardens.

 

The Rainforest Pyramid was the first built of the three pyramids at Moody Gardens and is a 10-story glass structure that is home to more than 1,000 species of plants and animals. Visitors are able to experience rainforest life from around the world, including Africa, Asia and the Americas. Many of the animals within the pyramid are free-roaming, like Saki monkeys, Two-toed sloths and many tropical birds.

 

Along with the Rainforest Pyramid, visitors can also visit the Aquarium Pyramid, MG 3D, 4D and Audience Recognition Theaters, Discovery Museum, Colonel Paddlewheel Boat, Ropes Course, Zip Line, Palm Beach, holiday attractions, four-diamond hotel and a premier public golf course, at one of the top tourist destinations in Texas.

 

For more information please call 409-744-4673 or visit www.moodygardens.org.

 

Moody Gardens^® is a public, non-profit, educational destination utilizing nature in the advancement of rehabilitation, conservation, recreation, and research.

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