Paul the octopus gained fame last year during the football World Cup for his impeccable accuracy in predicting match outcomes. In honor of the three-month anniversary of his passing, his aquarium announced on Monday that a shrine will be established.
On Thursday, the tentacled oracle will be commemorated with a “Paul Corner” at his previous residence, which will house his ashes alongside a “grand memorial,” as stated by the center located in western Germany.
“Standing approximately 1.80 meters tall, there will be a statue of Paul atop a football, featuring a transparent window housing the golden urn with Paul’s ashes,” spokeswoman Tanja Munzig informed AFP.
During the World Cup held in South Africa in June and July, Paul delighted bettors and incurred significant losses for bookmakers by accurately predicting the outcomes of seven German matches as well as Spain’s 1-0 victory over the Netherlands in the final.
To make the predictions, two boxes were lowered into the clever cephalopod’s tank, each containing a mussel along with the flags of the opposing teams.
Under the watchful eyes of numerous reporters, Paul would approach one box, pry open its lid, and devour the delectable mussel, with the chosen box signifying the predicted winner.
His remarkable talent turned him into a worldwide media sensation, and his later predictions were broadcast live on multiple news channels in Germany.
Additionally, he even forecasted that Julia Gillard would become the next prime minister of Australia.
Having peacefully passed away in his sleep at nearly three years old in October, Paul elicited an outpouring of condolences from his Facebook fan club, which has seen its membership grow over threefold to 200,000 since his demise.
On November 3, the aquarium introduced a replacement, a French octopus named Paul II.
Though the new cephalopod has yet to be tested in a competitive setting, there is much speculation regarding his potential debut at the upcoming European championship in Ukraine and Poland in 2012.
by Buford Balony
