BERLIN – Paul, the oracle octopus who shot to fame in the World Cup this summer for his uncanny ability to predict the results of Germany’s soccer matches, has died at his home in Oberhausen at the age of two.
Paul made headlines across the globe after he correctly forecast how Germany would fare in seven matches, before his psychic powers were tested again for the final.
After Germany’s semi-final defeat, Paul tipped Spain to beat the Netherlands in the final, which prompted one news agency to report he had spurred a jump in demand for Spanish government bonds. Paul’s prediction duly came to pass: Spain won.
Staff at the Oberhausen Sea Life Centre said in a statement they were “devastated” to learn of Paul’s death when they returned to work on Tuesday.
“He appears to have passed away peacefully during the night, of natural causes, and we are consoled by the knowledge that he enjoyed a good life,” said the centre’s manager, Stefan Porwoll.
Before matches, two containers of food were placed in the eight-legged creature’s tank, each one bearing the flag of one of the teams about to compete for their chance to become world champions. The container Paul picked first was seen as his pick.
Punters around the world made small fortunes based on Paul’s uncanny picks, Graham Sharpe, media relations director at bookmakers William Hill in London, told Reuters in July.
Mr Sharpe said if anyone had placed a £10 accumulator bet on Paul’s picks from the start of the World Cup, they would have won £3,000 (€3,400) by the end of the tournament.
Following the World Cup, a Spanish zoo made a transfer bid for Paul but his German keepers refused to sell. Some Germans called for a public grilling of the oracle octopus, prompting Sea Life to install extra security.
Paul will be kept in cold storage until the centre decides how to mark the mollusc’s extraordinary life, Mr Porwoll added. “We may decide to give Paul his own small burial plot within our grounds and erect a modest permanent shrine,” he said. – (Reuters)