Stephanie Loder

Asbury Park (N.J.) Press

Princess%2C 27%2C was donated to Popcorn Park Zoo 10 years ago

Her best season was 2008-09 when she correctly chose 17 out of 22 games

She started picking NFL teams after radio station asked for an animal to select Super Bowl winners

LACEY, N.J. — Princess the Camel, who gained fame picking Super Bowl winners and dozens of other football games for the last decade, was euthanized Tuesday after arthritis made it impossible for the 27-year-old animal to stand, said a Popcorn Park Zoo official.

"She had to go in dignity, because that is how she lived her life," said John Bergmann, manager of the Associated Humane Society's Popcorn Park Zoo.

"Her absence leaves a big void in the park," Bergmann said. "It was not just her size, but her personality, and to not have her here leaves a big hole."

Princess, who was at the zoo 10 years, had been donated from a private estate after the owner died. Born June 24, 1987, she quickly adapted to zoo life, Bergmann said.

Radio stunt

Bergmann said Princess gained national fame after Stafford, N.J.-based radio station WCHR-FM called about eight or nine years ago and asked for an animal to pick Super Bowl winners against the disc jockeys' picks.

"She was a natural," Bergmann said. "We just used some graham crackers."

Princess' last pick was correct. She picked Denver to beat San Diego last Sunday in the NFL playoffs.

Last January, Princess correctly chose the Baltimore Ravens over the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII. Her best season was in 2008-2009, when she accurately chose 17 out of 22 games, as well as the Super Bowl XLIII winner, the Pittsburgh Steelers, according to previous reports.

Bergmann said that despite different therapies for the arthritis she had most of her life, the arthritis had become extreme. Princess could not stand Monday, which brought on the decision to euthanize her, he said.

According to National Geographic, the average lifespan for a Bactrian camel is 50 years in captivity.

A memorial is being planned for Princess, but Bergmann said plans aren't finalized.

Toms River, N.J., residents Rose Marie Matano and her husband Joe visited the veterinary hospital at the zoo Wednesday. They said they were sad to hear Princess had died. However, they praised the zoo for caring for the animal for so long.

"It's a great place and the people are really nice," Rose Marie Matano said.