Jogo Do Bicho

Have you ever wondered what national game is an inherent part of the Brazilian culture? The right answer is Jogo Do Bicho. Speaking plain English, Jogo Do Bicho means “Animal Lottery” and that’s how people describe it: The game is a deeply embedded cultural phenomenon with a certain romantic aura, and thus hard to eradicate! You may ask, why this lottery should be eradicated? The answer lies in its history. In retrospect, the creation of the game is well-documented: it was invented by Baron Drummond, the administrator of Rio Zoo with the main aim to somehow popularize the place. So he encouraged visitors to guess the animal hidden in the cage behind a curtain. That animal was symbolizing the day. In the evening, the curtain fell to reveal the symbolic animal and all the holders of fortunate tickets were given cash prizes.