Princess the Camel Memorial Service Set for Super Bowl Sunday Morning

Super Bowl time around Ocean County loses a bit of luster without Princess the Camel at Popcorn Park Zoo in Lacey Township to forecast the winner. You can share your warm memories of her in Forked River on Super Bowl Sunday, well before the game.

A memorial service, including a video presentation, takes place on the morning of Super Sunday, February 2, at Layton's Home for Funerals on West Lacey Road. In lieu of flowers, park officials have established a fund in her memory.

Before her peaceful death January 14 at the animal refuge, Princess had become a national celebrity for her remarkable accuracy in choosing winners in pro football's annual classic. Nibbling on a graham cracker from zoo Director John Bergmann's right or left hand sealed her choice.

Beyond that, Princess was a crowd pleaser who loved the attention of children and enjoyed posing for photos. She and a sister came to America as possessions of the late tobacco heiress Doris Duke and spent several years on her New Jersey estate before the zoo inherited her.

Doors at the funeral home open at 10 AM and the presentation begins a half-hour later.

Donations to the Princess Fund can be sent to Popcorn Park, 1 Humane Way, Forked River NJ, 08731. If you're sending a contribution, be sure to include the work "Princess" on the envelope.