Paul the 'psychic' octopus in action during this year's World Cup – choosing winners with uncanny results. Photograph: Wolfgang Rattay/Reuters
Paul the 'psychic' octopus, who won unlikely worldwide fame after correctly predicting a host of World Cup matches, has died, his owners have confirmed. Stefan Porwoll, manager of the Oberhausen Sea Life Centre in Germany, said: "His success made him almost a bigger story than the World Cup itself."
Paul predicted the winners of all Germany's World Cup 2010 clashes, and then of the final by selecting one of two boxes, each loaded with a mussel food treat and marked on the outside with one of the teams.
Staff at the centre said his death was not entirely unexpected, since common octopuses generally only live a couple of years. "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 here," said Mr Porwoll.
"We may decide to give Paul his own small burial plot within our grounds and erect a modest permanent shrine." Paul will live on meanwhile in the form of a range of commercial enterprises ranging from special clothing lines to mobile phone applications. He will also feature in a documentary to be released early next year.
Some Twitter comments:
guardian_sport...No squidding! Bet he didn't see, etc and so on: Paul the 'psychic' octopus dies gu.com/p/2kjm2/tw via @guardian
guardian_sport... Aquarium: 'We may decide to give Paul his own small burial plot within our grounds and erect a modest permanent shrine'
Zonal_MarkingThank God, no more stories about that ****** octopus...
arseblog @Zonal_Marking...Or **** jokes about how he didn't see his own death coming. He was only psychic for football matches. I mean, really.
Conspiracy Theory?
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