World Cup Octopus | FIFA World Cup Otopus

World Cup Octopus
FIFA World Cup Otopus

Paul the “World Cup Octopus” predicts Spain will win the World Cup. While prognosticating Paul might be the “World Cup Octopus”, Paul is not the only animal predicting Sunday’s outcome.

In fact, Paul’s publicity is sparking some animal world controversy. In Singapore, Mani “The World Cup Parakeet” is getting its feathers into a bunch over a disagreement with Paul’s prediction. Mani claims the Netherlands will win Sunday.

Animal “analysts” are amazed by Paul. He’s a German octopus who consistently predicted his own country’s advance through the World Cup. Paul predicted from his aquarium in Oberhausen, Germany correctly that Germany would defeat Ghana. And ironically, he predicted that his own country would fall to Serbia earlier in the World Cup.

So how did an aquarium in Oberhausen get its sea creature involved in the World Cup? His caretakers would drop two glass boxes in his enormous tank each time, one with a German flag and one with the flag of Germany’s opponent for the respective game. Inside each box were add delicious treats. The box that Paul goes for first was deemed his pick.

Yet, despite the reaction from Mani, Paul didn’t become an animal oracle overnight. Octopus Paul has been doing this for 2 1/2 years. He was correct at 11 of 12 games in the 2008 European Championship.