Paul, an octopus with an eye for soccer, picks Germany over England in World Cup game
BERLIN — A 2-year-old octopus oracle -- born in England but raised in Germany -- has predicted a German win over England in Sunday's World Cup game.
The mollusk named Paul chose a mussel out of a water glass marked with the German flag over a mussel in a glass with the English St. George's Cross, said Tanja Munzig, a spokeswoman for the Sea Life Aquarium in the western city of Oberhausen, on Friday.
Paul has proved to be a reliable oracle in the past -- he predicted Germany's win over Australia and Ghana and its loss to Serbia. During the 2008 European Championship, he predicted 80% of all German games right, Munzig said.
Germany's national team faces England in a much-anticipated round-of-16 face-off in South Africa.
"Paul's prediction was phenomenal," Munzig said. "He swam straight over to the German glass, climbed in and even put a lid on top once he was sitting inside. It was completely crazy."
The organizers of Friday's event were still analyzing why Paul covered the glass with a lid.
"Either he was a bit ashamed that he gave up his English roots so quickly," Munzig said, "or he was just absolutely convinced about a fast, overwhelming German victory."
Munzig said that even though Paul was born in England, "he now carries a German passport," because he has lived in Oberhausen for most of his life.
Other animal oracles in German zoos cannot claim such a strong track record.
Nineteen-year-old hippo Petty falsely predicted a German win over Serbia last week. At the Chemnitz zoo in eastern Germany, she had to choose between two piles of hay with red apples on top and nibbled from the wrong pile.
Tamarin Anton, a monkey at the same zoo, chose the wrong raisin a few days ago, incorrectly claiming that Ghana would beat Germany, kicking it out of the World Cup.
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-- Associated Press
Top photo: Paul is pictured in the Sea Life Aquarium on June 22. Credit: Clemens Bilan / Associated Press
Bottom photo: Paul predicts Germany's victory in the country's World Cup clash against England by choosing a mussel from a glass box with the German flag. Credit: Wolfgang Rattay / Reuters
HE WAS RIGHT! :O
Posted by: Roy | June 30, 2010 at 12:04 PM
Hi i am from Greece and i have a very interesting question:
Does this octopus has any predictions on Greek Economy? Will we bankrupt or not?
Can we borrow this wise animal because it seems that our politicians do not have desision making capabilities.
We can put it in our parliament instead of them and it can choose yes or no in our laws to be voted. I am pretty sure that the octopus is wiser than our politicians to choose right from wrong and anyway if it fails to do the job i think that it will be a very nice side plate with OUZO.
Take care
Posted by: Antonis | July 06, 2010 at 07:07 AM
Dang!!!
He could be the world's richest Cephalopod if he worked the Vegas or London Sports Books!
Posted by: Frederico | July 07, 2010 at 10:37 PM