Octopus gives England that sinking feeling
Updated on 25 June 2010
An English born octopus that now lives in a German aquarium has predicted that Germany will triumph over England in Sunday's World Cup match in Bloemfontein. If that was not depressing enough - Paul the octopus has correctly foreseen previous tournament results.
In the test staged at the Sea Life Aquarium at Oberhausen, the two-year-old mollusc was offered two plastic boxes marked with an English and German flag that each contained a mussel.
Not put off by the sizeable media presence, Paul immediately chose the snack in the German box.
Tanja Munzig, an aquarium spokeswoman, said the octopus had previously seen that Germany would beat Australia and Ghana, but lose to Serbia.
He also correctly predicted the outcome of 80 per cent of Germany's games during the 2008 European Cup.
However other German animals have proved less adept at predicting their side's changeable fortunes.
Anton, a marmoset at Chemnitz Zoo in Eastern Germany last week wrongly backed Ghana, by eating raisins from his zoo keeper's hand that represented the African nation and not the ones from the German hand.
A porcupine called Leon had predicted an Australian victory over Germany, who went on to convincingly win 4-0.
Yet when Petty. a nineteen year old hippo also at Chemnitz Zoo was given the choice of two piles of hay covered with red apples to represent Germany and Serbia, she nibbled from the German pile.
However Serbia went on to secure a shock 1-0 victory.
