Paul the Psychic Octopus may have gone to that great aquarium in the sky but the wizard of World Cup predictions will live on in a German shrine featuring a six-foot statue of him atop a soccer ball, plus his ashes, The Local reported Monday.
Paul won worldwide acclaim, and a Facebook fan club, by correctly predicting the results of seven Germany matches and Spain’s 1-0 triumph over the Netherlands in last summer’s World Cup tournament in South Africa.
Following that triumph, the tentacled tipster passed away peacefully in his sleep last October at his home at the Sea Life Centre in Oberhausen, Germany. He was almost three.
Now his aquarium has announced the unveiling later this week of “Paul’s Corner,” featuring a statue 1.80 meters (six feet) high of Paul atop a soccer ball. In the middle will be a see-through window with a golden urn containing Paul’s ashes, The Local's German edition said, citing AFP.
Last November, the aquarium revealed a French-born cephalopod replacement, Paul II, whose skills have not yet been tested.
It was unclear if he would follow Paul’s simple yet succulent technique of choosing between two boxes, each decorated with a team’s flag and containing a tasty mussel. The team represented on the box Paul chose then went on to win.
At one point, his predictions were carried live on German television.
