The winner of the 2021 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl between No. 12 Pitt and No. 10 Michigan State has been predicted by Yang Yang, a 24-year-old male giant panda at Zoo Atlanta.
The giant panda entered his habitat on Monday to find two identical boxes painted with team logos, and promptly chose Michigan State to claim victory.
It may seem unusual to bet on a giant panda prediction, but Yang Yang accurately predicted the Georgia Bulldog’s 24-21 victory over the Cincinnati Bearcats at last year’s Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl game.
No. 12 Pitt and No. 10 Michigan State will meet at 7 p.m. on Dec. 30 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. This will be both teams’ first outing in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.
“We are thrilled to have both Pitt and Michigan State at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl for the first time in their storied histories,” Gary Stokan, Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl CEO and president, said in a press release. “It’s truly an honor to be able to host two programs who have combined for 15 National Championships, more than 1,400 all-time wins and 205 First Team All-Americans.”
Yang Yang is one of four giant pandas at Zoo Atlanta, one of only three zoos in the U.S. that houses these bears. Giant Pandas are a vulnerable species and remain heavily reliant on conservation programs.
“Fewer than 1,900 giant pandas remain in the wild in China’s Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu provinces. Of these, more than 1,200 live inside nature reserves. Zoo Atlanta has supported programs on eight of these reserves and has contributed well over $16 million in support for wild giant pandas living in China,” a press release from Zoo Atlanta stated.
Follow Yang Yang and friends at Zoo Atlanta on PandaCam at zooatlanta.org/pandacam.
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