October 28th, 2010
The world’s favourite cephalopod, Paul the Octopus, passed away on Tuesday in his tank at Oberhausen Sea Life Centre. He was two years old.
Paul was hatched in an aquarium in Weymouth, England, in January 2008. At a very early stage in life he was moved to what would become his permanent home in Oberhausen, Germany. Once there, he was named after a poem by Boy Lorsen, titled ‘Der Tintenfisch Paul Oktopus’ (Paul the Squid Octopus), and spent his days entertaining children and tourists. All the while he was cared-for by his life-long guardian, Stefan Porwoll, manager of the Sea Life Centre.
At this time Paul was already showing a talent for seeing the future. It has been claimed that he was predicting the outcomes of Germany’s football matches as early as the UEFA Euro 2008 tournament, with a success rate of 4/6. It wasn’t until the FIFA World Cup of 2010, however, that his unique talent became widely known.
Paul correctly predicted the outcome of all seven of Germany’s world cup games, as well as the final match between Spain and the Netherlands, and became a household name to all. He communicated his choices to the world’s media by selecting a mussel to eat from a box that displayed the relevant country’s flag. It seems that fame became too much for the tentacled one, however, as he retired from the business immediately after the tournament ended.
But the media attention did not stop there. Hundreds of Aquariums and Zoos in Spain tried to borrow Paul. His name was used in animal welfare campaigns in Greece. Imitators of his talent sprung up all over the animal world. Paul, however, merely returned to his daily routine in the Aquarium, and lived the rest of his life happily in solitude.
On the morning of October 26, 2010, the famous octopus was found dead in his tank, having passed away during the night. No foul play was suspected, and it is believed that he died from natural causes. Porwoll said of the tragedy: “We are consoled by the knowledge that he enjoyed a good life here. His success made him almost a bigger story than the World Cup itself.” The team may erect a memorial in honour of their famous friend.
Paul will live on in a multitude of commercial enterprises, as well as a documentary he starred in, due to be released next year. His final prediction was that England would win the bid to host the World Cup in 2018.
By Edel. Filed under News, Random.
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